Fulham 3 Brighton 0
Marco Silva’s side welcomed Brighton to Craven Cottage, with The Seagulls’ form being up and down like a yo-yo this season. Their manager is being linked to most vacant jobs across Europe of late, but the results for his side would not inspire confidence into potential suitors.
Fulham are starting to find their feet again at home and took the lead through Harry Wilson as the winger cut inside from the right, sidestepped a defender, before bending one in the far corner to set West London alight. It was a great finish by the Welshman.
It was their first decent effort of the game but none of that matters when it is the strike to break the deadlock. The visitors almost replied as Enciso twisted and turned outside the box before thundering a shot away that flashed past the top corner of the goal.
Armando Broja joined Fulham on loan on transfer deadline day, hoping to get more gametime. Since then, Muniz has started firing on all cylinders for Marco Silva’s side. As Wilson bent a cross into the box, it was his header that beat Steele in the Brighton goal to double their lead.
Credit: @FulhamFC
Craven Cottage was bouncing, this was the sort of football they wanted to see from their team. Quick passing and movement, putting balls into dangerous areas for their forwards to attack. On this form, Fulham could prove a challenge for most teams.
The visitors were trying to make something happen but they were just not clicking up top. Ferguson was dropping deep to look for the ball but when he receives it, there is a gaping hole up front in the area that he should be occupying.
Lukic was enjoying a rare start for The Cottagers and he played a defence-splitting pass into the path of Wilson. As he ran towards goal, he shifted it onto his right foot and dragged it wide of the goal, underlining why his left is the more potent.
Brighton started to get the ball to Adingra more in the second half and his pace and passing started to cause problems. As a move broke down, Silva’s side got forward and Pereira seemed destined to score but his shot towards the far post went narrowly wide.
Roberto De Zerbi will be disappointed by his side’s display, but they almost got back into the game when Ferguson was one on one with Leno. He poked his effort past the keeper but it missed the far post by the narrowest of margins as he held his head in his hands.
He had another chance when Bassey mistimed a clearance but on this occasion, he hit his effort straight at Leno and Fulham keeper reacted well to keep him out. On another day, the visitors could have been level by now.
Credit: @FulhamFc
Buonanotte then reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box but his shot came thundering back off the post to deny the visitors once again. They had created more than enough chances to be leading the game by this stage.
Gross was then dispossessed by De Cordova-Reid who fed the ball into Traore who remained calm as he slotted the ball past Steele to put the icing on the cake for Marco Silva’s team. De Zerbi will wonder how they lost this game but such a margin considering what they created.
Fulham moved up to twelfth in the table, importantly, fifteen points away from the bottom three. Brighton remained in ninth position but are finding it difficult to juggle the pressures of European football and a Premier League fixture list.
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