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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side 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 deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.