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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, 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 sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.