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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside 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 overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and put 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 Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.