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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’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 the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert 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 in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far 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 the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.