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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane 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 Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. 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 comeback for their ex-coach.

No one 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 a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. 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 another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect 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 VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.