David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.
Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.
No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings 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 earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.
Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.
The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. 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 missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.
Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.
Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.
The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.
Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.
