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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break 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 the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target 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 directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.