🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last 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 linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up 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 effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back delivered 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 mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.