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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham 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 technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, 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 straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, 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 architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.