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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header 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 Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, 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 drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement 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 Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.