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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as 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 Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. 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 Leno did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.