🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper 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 met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.