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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, 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 the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. 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 glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.