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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than 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 Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.