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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason 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 greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out 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 was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.