Gueye and Michael Keane on target as Everton overcome Fulham

The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up 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 runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.