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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward 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 two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune 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 wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham 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 Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.