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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross 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 mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.