Fulham triumphed 3-1 over Brighton at Craven Cottage in a thrilling Premier League encounter.
Alex Iwobi stole the limelight on a windy night in West London.
Despite Brighton’s relentless pressure and moments of brilliance, Marco Silva’s side capitalized on crucial chances to claim all three points.
The game started in chaotic fashion, with Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen giving Fulham the first goal in just the fourth minute.
Trying to play out from the back, Verbruggen passed directly to Iwobi, who calmly slotted the ball into an open net to put the home side ahead.
It was Fulham’s fastest Premier League home goal since August 2022.
Brighton responded well, dominating possession and creating several chances.
BIG 3-pointer! 🤍#FULLHA pic.twitter.com/uz0vwPYnOY
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) December 5, 2024
Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro tested the Fulham defence, while Carlos Baleba and Simon Andingra were lively in midfield.
However, Brighton’s finishing lacked precision, with Baird Leno making crucial saves to keep Fulham ahead at half-time.
After the break, Brighton’s persistence paid off.
In the 56th minute, Pedro pulled off a superb assist, nudging the ball into the path of Baleba with the outside of his boot.
The Cameroonian midfielder flicked a low shot past Leno to level the score at 1-1.
Fulham, however, did not take long to regain control.
In the 79th minute, a well-taken corner by Andreas Pereira caused chaos in the Brighton area.
The ball bounced off Matthew O’Reilly and into the back of the net, much to the chagrin of Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, who was booked for his animated protests.
The hosts sealed victory in the 87th minute with a stunning Iwobi goal.
The Nigeria international showed his class by turning sharply into a tight space in the box before firing a right-footed shot into the bottom corner.
It was his second goal of the game and undoubtedly the highlight of a man of the match performance.
Brighton continued to press until the final whistle but could not find a way back.
The result keeps Fulham in the hunt for the first half, while Brighton will be disappointed to leave empty-handed after creating plenty of chances but failing to convert.
