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The Everton manager 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 demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down 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 taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.