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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.