Gueye along with Michael Keane on target as Everton overcome the Cottagers

David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring 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 the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.