🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, 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 justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge 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 in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.