🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. 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 runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.