Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane on target as Everton defeat Fulham

The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.