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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart 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. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.