Brighton slip to rare defeat
Fulham 3 - 1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton slipped to just their third Premier League defeat of the season as Alex Iwobi's brace, coupled with an unlucky own goal from Matt O'Riley, secured Fulham's win on a wet and blustery evening at Craven Cottage.
Despite the dreadful conditions, with heavy rain and strong winds lashing the pitch, there was no excusing Bart Verbruggen's early error that handed Fulham an opening goal.
Within just three minutes, the Brighton keeper attempted a short pass to Carlos Baleba inside the box, only for Alex Iwobi to pounce, intercept, and calmly slot the ball into an open net for his fourth league goal of the campaign.
Fulham nearly doubled their advantage moments later, but Igor Julio’s crucial intervention thwarted Iwobi as he surged towards goal.
Brighton fought back and found an equaliser 11 minutes into the second half. Jan Paul van Hecke delivered a pinpoint lofted pass to Joao Pedro, who showcased his skill with a deft touch to set up Baleba. The midfielder fired a low drive from 20 yards past Bernd Leno, capping off a superb team goal. Baleba celebrated in style, impressing the crowd with a gymnastic somersault. However, this moment of brilliance wasn’t enough to inspire Brighton to their seventh win of the season.
Fulham regained the lead in the 79th minute through an unfortunate own goal. Andreas Pereira’s corner deflected off O'Riley and into the net, leaving Brighton trailing again.
Iwobi wrapped up the victory with a thunderous strike in the 87th minute, securing his second goal of the night and lifting Fulham to sixth place, just a point behind Brighton, who sit in fifth.
Fulham fans delighted with win and performance
Robert, a Fulham Season Ticket holder, said: "It was a great result against Brighton , scoring an early goal definitely helped us. Iwobi delivered an outstanding performance, and it was encouraging to see the rest of our team supporting one another. We've not always had that in the past."
Frank was also delighted with his side's performance. He told us: "Despite what some pundits might say, that was a deserved win for us. We created our fair share of chances against a very good team."
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A missed opportunity for Brighton
Going into the match, Brighton knew a two-goal victory would have taken them fourth in the Premier League table and back above Manchester City. This level of victory never looked likely and from speaking to Brighton fans, you get the indication that they feel they have missed an opportunity by not winning the last two matches.
One of those Brighton fans told us: "That was another poor performance. On a few occasions this season, we have flattered to deceive and maybe got away with a win. We have been caught up. Despite that, there are still a lot of positives and we still have an excellent chance of qualifying for Europe next season."
