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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker 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 two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in 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 offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player 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 teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.