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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.