Gueye and Michael Keane find the net as Everton defeat the Cottagers

David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve 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 £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.