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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely 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 defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop 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.