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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.