🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager 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 want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.