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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target 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 earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender 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. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.