Gueye along with Michael Keane find the net as the Toffees overcome the Cottagers

David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, 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 early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.