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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. 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 late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than 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 Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. 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 movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate 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 chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.