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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back 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 offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

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 Joachim Anderson for the touch 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 corner that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.