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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than 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 £27m summer arrival 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 directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, 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 another important stop in the dying moments.