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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.