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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.