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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled 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 subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.