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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal 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 directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.