Brighton Beaten 3-1 as Fulham Climb to Sixth in Premier League
Fulham moved within a point of fifth-place Brighton & Hove Albion with a decisive 3-1 victory at Craven Cottage on Thursday. Alex Iwobi was the hero of the night, scoring twice, with his first goal capitalizing on Brighton’s defensive errors. The Seagulls, missing their manager Fabian Hurzeler due to a touchline ban, struggled to find their rhythm and were ultimately punished for sloppy passing out of defense.
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Early Gift Sets Fulham Ahead
The match began disastrously for Brighton as Igor’s misplaced pass to Bart Verbruggen put the goalkeeper in trouble. Verbruggen’s attempted clearance fell straight to Iwobi, who tapped into an open net to give Fulham the lead within four minutes. Fulham nearly doubled their advantage moments later when Harry Wilson couldn’t quite connect with Rodrigo Muniz’s dangerous cross. Brighton sought an equalizer, and Simon Adingra’s close-range effort required an excellent save from Bernd Leno. Mats Wieffer also came close just before halftime, but his strike deflected off Fulham’s Antonee Robinson and Sander Berge, keeping the score 1-0 at the break.
Brighton Fight Back After Halftime
The Seagulls leveled the score 10 minutes into the second half. Carlos Baleba struck a thunderous low shot from outside the box after Joao Pedro’s knock-down, bringing Brighton back into contention. With the match finely poised, both sides pushed for a decisive goal, setting up a tense final 20 minutes.
O’Riley’s Misfortune and Iwobi’s Brilliance
Fulham regained their lead in the 79th minute when Andreas Pereira delivered a dangerous corner that ricocheted off Matt O’Riley’s back and into his own net. The unfortunate own goal gave Fulham a crucial advantage and sent the Craven Cottage crowd into wild celebrations. Three minutes from full-time, Iwobi sealed the win in style. Spinning past defenders in the box, he unleashed a curling strike into the top corner, securing his brace and confirming Fulham’s rise to sixth place in the Premier League.
A Competitive Premier League Table
This victory tightens the standings in a congested Premier League race, with Fulham now just one point behind Brighton in fifth. While the Seagulls will rue their costly mistakes, Fulham’s clinical finishing ensured their well-deserved triumph.
