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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 rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted 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 found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.