Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane on target as Everton defeat Fulham

The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.