5 December 2024
Fulham 3 Brighton 1
Marco Silva’s side welcomed in-form Brighton to Craven Cottage as the visitors looked to put pressure on the other teams vying for the top four. Fabian Hurzeler could never have guessed that his side would make such a great start when he took over in the summer. This was no easy game, on their day, Fulham can be more than a match for anyone.
Sadly for The Seagulls, they were to gift their opponents an early goal. As they looked to pass it about at the back, Verbruggen played a dreadful pass straight to Iwobi from the byline. The Fulham winger took one touch to control it before drilling his shot into the back of the net. If he had opened that present, the card would simply say….Happy Christmas Alex, lots of love Bart.
As good as their start has been, they have not looked as solid at the back as we have seen before. Granted missing Dunk to a long-term injury has not helped. They are missing a leader, someone to keep the other defenders where they should be. Despite his error, Verbruggen has been in good form for Brighton this campaign so far.
Van Hecke then threaded a sublime ball in behind the Fulham defence. Joao Pedro was quick enough to get on the end of it but Leno made a smart block to deny him at the near post. It was a warning to the hosts, how The Seagulls can just open you up in an instant. More often than not they are far more clinical in front of goal too.
Mitoma then found himself some space down the left. He played a brilliant cross into the box with the outside of his right foot. As it was half-cleared, Estupinan was the first player to let rip. His effort was well blocked. Then Joao Pedro tried to capitalise but Bassey was there to protect the Fulham goal once again.
Hurzeler was in the stands for this one due to suspension. Well, it was quite darkly lit in those stands. It could have been Fabian Hurzeler, it could have been James Milner. That is anyone’s guess. Wherever he was, he will have been bitterly disappointed with how easily his team gifted The Cottagers the lead in this game.
Once again Mitoma found some space down the left. He headed to the byline before drilling in a teasing cross. Adingra met it on the full but his venomous shot was brilliantly blocked by Leno in the hosts’ goal. The Seagulls were starting to wonder what they had to do to score in this game. They had dominated since going a goal down.
Fulham went in at the interval with the slenderest of leads. While they would have taken this result there and then, they knew they needed more goals to give themselves some breathing space in this game. It was down to the Brighton assistant manager to try and inspire with his boss banned from the changing rooms for this match.
After the break, the visitors forced an early corner. As it was whipped in, van Hecke met it with a completely free header. The fact that he could not get it on target summed up the evening so far for The Seagulls. They had numerous chances in this game and sooner or later you fancied Fulham to double their lead and really punish them.
As a long ball was hit forward, Joao Pedro controlled it brilliantly into the path of Baleba on the edge of the box. He struck a low shot into the far corner to send the away end into raptures. You could not say you hadn’t seen this coming, the game had been one-way traffic for some time. Brighton were asking serious questions of the hosts and we would see if they had a reaction in them now.
Then the worst thing possible happened to the visitors. As a rare Fulham corner was whipped into the box, a number of players tried to get on the end of it. The ball soon nestled in the bottom corner of the goal. Only a replay could clear things up and it was in fact Brighton midfielder O’Riley who had sent it into his own net. Tragedy for The Seagulls.
Deep into added time, the ball was played into Iwobi in the box. He was in a wide position, with his back to goal, nothing seemed likely to happen. He cut onto his right foot and looked to bend one around the defenders in front of him. His effort went all the way into the far corner with a full-stretch Verbruggen unable to get anywhere near it.
The goal flattered Fulham somewhat, this had been quite an even game. Brighton had certainly paid the price for being so wasteful in front of goal. The Cottagers moved up to sixth in the table, now just one point behind Fabian Hurzeler’s side. Things were smelling of roses in West London, Marco Silva will be the man hoping to keep them watered and blossoming for the rest of the season.
Did you enjoy this article? Please share to your social media. With one click you can help spread the word and make Solid at the Back the one-stop shop for all Premier League fans.