🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back floated 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 against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.