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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area 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 another strike chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, 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 security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.