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David Moyes 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 centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward 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 two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. 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 Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.