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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable 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 contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually 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. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford 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.