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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.