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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one 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 big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar 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.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.