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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton forward 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far 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 supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender 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 met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.