🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish 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 player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up 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 movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient 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 past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.