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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.