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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar 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 the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.