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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.