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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted 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 all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton 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 the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno 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 delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.