Everton suffered a blow in their bid for Premier League survival as Fulham ended their five-match losing streak in all competitions with a 3-1 win at Goodison Park.
Everton went into the game only above the relegation zone on goal difference but could fall into the bottom three by the end of the weekend after failing to build on their impressive home form under Sean Dyche.
Fulham, searching for their first league victory since February 18, took a 22nd-minute lead through Harrison Reed but Dwight McNeil's fine strike 10 minutes before the break gave Everton hope as the first half ended level.
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The Toffees started the second period brightly but it was the visitors who went ahead when Harry Wilson finished a fine counter-attack six minutes after half-time. Daniel James added a third for Fulham in the 68th minute and from there Marco Silva's side cruised to three points.
It is just the second time Everton have lost in the league at Goodison Park since Dyche took charge. They remain 17th, level on points with 18th-placed Nottingham Forest, who face Manchester United on Sunday - live on Sky Sports. Fulham stay 10th.
How Fulham bounced back against Everton
Both sides struggled for fluency in a cagey opening but spaces gradually opened up with Demarai Gray and Wilson both having tame efforts saved by Bernd Leno and Jordan Pickford respectively.
Fulham were starting to get on top as Andreas Pereira shot wide before the deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute, with Reed slotting beyond Pickford after Everton were left scrambling when Wilson's curling effort thudded against a post.
As Everton are the lowest scorers in the division, Reed's strike might have been decisive but the hosts rallied, thanks in part to transitioning from 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 formation as McNeil and Gray began to operate higher up the pitch to support Neal Maupay as Alex Iwobi dropped back into midfield.
Maupay could have opened his account but his point-blank header was straight at Leno and then James Tarkowski wastefully blazed the rebound over before Everton got a deserved equaliser after 35 minutes.
A dithering Joao Palhinha was dispossessed in his own half, allowing the hosts to break as James Garner freed McNeil, who turned and unfurled a fine left-footed shot from 20 yards past an outstretched Leno.
With confidence seemingly restored by the leveller, Everton remained on top but they could not find another way through before the break as Maupay was once again denied by Leno after a one-two by McNeil, whose teasing cross from the right evaded everyone in the box and drifted narrowly wide.
Another McNeil cross to the near post after half-time caught Leno off guard, cannoning into the Fulham goalkeeper's near post, before the visitors restored their lead in the 51st minute.
Kenny Tete's cross to the back post was cushioned back by Willian into the path of Wilson, who coolly side-footed the ball into the net.
The visitors had a couple of chances to move even further ahead as Pickford saved from Pereira, who then saw an effort deflected over with Everton increasingly penned back into their own half.
Some slack defending led to Fulham's third in the 68th minute, with a free-kick over the top catching Everton on their heels although James still did brilliantly to bring the ball down before firing across Pickford.
James might have deepened the misery late on as his effort from an acute angle just missed the target, with the Toffees again caught napping, but it mattered little to the result as Fulham coasted to victory.
Dyche: A stark reminder of the truth
Everton manager Sean Dyche said: "There's been good strides forward here but that's a step backward. The second half we actually started brightly but the goal diffused us too quickly.
"We huffed and puffed but we didn't really have the quality moments. That's something we're looking to correct, the mentality, and we have somewhat but it's a stark reminder of the truth of it.
"There's been a shift in mentality but it reverted back to before we were here. I've seen the games and you looked at it when a goal went in, it was all a bit lackadaisical then and that can't happen."
However, Dyche remains optimistic of maintaining Everton's top-flight place even though two of their remaining three home matches are against high-flying Newcastle and Manchester City.
"It's no different to the challenge when I got here - everyone told me they were gone when I got here so we've corrected that idea," Dyche said. "Now it's about taking the rest of the season on.
"There's a saying I have that you've got to make things happen, don't wait for them to happen. In the second half we dropped back into that waiting for something to happen.
"Generally we haven't done that since I've been here. There's been an energy and an edge to a performance to go and make it happen for ourselves."
Silva: Fulham deserved the three points
Fulham head coach Marco Silva said: "Clearly we were the best team on the pitch and we deserved the three points with no doubts.
The Portuguese watched on from the directors' box as he completed his touchline ban but he insisted he drew no extra pleasure from beating a side he managed from May 2018 to December 2019.
"I don't need to prove anything in one football match," he added. "I have to keep proving for myself, for my staff, for my players and for Fulham fans.
"I am really pleased with the three points, of course, it was important.
"We've had a bad spell so this is good. I am even more pleased for the second half, not just because we won but the way we did it, I saw improvements from last week. These are the main things.
"For me it's not one game that will change anything in my quality in what I'm doing."
Fantasy Premier League stats
Opta stats: Everton struggling for points at crucial time
- Everton won two of their first three Premier League matches under Sean Dyche (L1), but have since managed just one victory in their last eight games (D3 L4).
- After losing each of their first 14 trips to Goodison Park in the Premier League, Fulham have since won on each of their last two visits - 2-0 in February 2021 under Scott Parker and 3-1 today.
- Fulham's opener was the first time Everton have conceded in the first half of a Premier League home game since January 3 (vs Brighton).
- Harry Wilson netted his first Premier League goal for Fulham, while it was his first in 32 appearances in the competition overall - since scoring for Bournemouth in January 2020 (vs Brighton).
- Dwight McNeil has netted four times for Everton in the Premier League this term, as many as he had in his previous three seasons for former club Burnley combined (0 in 2021-22, two in 2020-21 and two in 2019-20).
What's next?
Everton travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace on Saturday April 22; kick-off 3pm.
Meanwhile, Fulham host Leeds at Craven Cottage, also on Saturday April 22; kick-off 12.30pm.
Everton's remaining fixtures
April 22: Crystal Palace (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 27: Newcastle (H) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
May 1: Leicester (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
May 8: Brighton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm
May 13: Man City (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Wolves (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Bournemouth (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
Fulham's remaining fixtures
April 22: Leeds (H) - Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm
April 25: Aston Villa (A) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
April 30: Man City (H) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
May 3: Liverpool (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm
May 8: Leicester (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 13: Southampton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Crystal Palace (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Man Utd (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm