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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.