🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable 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 away side were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space 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 the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal 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 in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.