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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye 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 outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder 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 was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort 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 Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.