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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye 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 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 the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. 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 video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.