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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors 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 throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune 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 assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.