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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit 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 centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, 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 validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.