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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed 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 the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.