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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring 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 £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.