🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at 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 effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.