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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park 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 clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.