Gueye along with Keane on target as Everton overcome Fulham

The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.