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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross 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 going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance 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.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. 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 palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.