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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a 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 feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.