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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’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 brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, 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 missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.