Idrissa Gueye along with Keane on target as Everton sink the Cottagers

The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed 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. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez 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 Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.