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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout 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 the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.