🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header 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 Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass 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 going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.