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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park 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 the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped 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, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.