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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.