Gueye along with Keane find the net as Everton defeat Fulham

David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham 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. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

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