🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, 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 clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders 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 combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper 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.