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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park 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 missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified 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.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball 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 Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.