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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.