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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target 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 headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in 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 in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. 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 occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane 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, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.