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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, 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 their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, 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 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.