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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.