🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only 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 Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at 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 Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender 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. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.