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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured 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 a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.