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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

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 first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.