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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. 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 supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.