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4 days ago
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Harry Wilson’s taste for the spectacular continues to decorate Fulham’s season. Deep in added time, the Welshman’s free-kick beat Bart Verbruggen, whose failure to keep the ball out completed a regrettable afternoon for both goalkeepers.
As in August, when the two teams fought out a draw on opening day, Brighton rued missed chances and Fulham took theirs when they came. Fabian Hürzeler’s team continue to make the mistakes that keeps them landlocked in mid-table.
For Fulham, Samuel Chukwueze has done much of his best work this season off the bench and did so again, his cool finish levelling out a Yasin Ayari striker that saw Bernd Leno, the Fulham goalkeeper, at fault.
Until he tired and was subbed off, Carlos Baleba, vastly improved for his time with Cameroon in Morocco, was the best player on show. He began by making an early challenge to rob an escaping Kevin. Brighton fans have been reassured by the return of Pascal Gross, making up a veteran partnership in lining up closest to Danny Welbeck. Brighton’s hard and high press had Fulham scrabbling for room from the early stages.
Wilson’s stabbed pass for Raúl Jiménez gave Verbruggen his first save to make, the goalkeeper narrowing the angle but it was Brighton who broke the deadlock. Leno was far less proficient at his near post; Ayari’s shot lacked venom but still sneaked past Leno’s outstretched palm.
Brighton had grabbed their lead just when Fulham had finally begun to open them up. They might have scored a second soon after. Lewis Dunk’s punt found Kaoru Mitoma in space. The first touch was gossamer, the second, far less assured, offered redemption to Leno, though he could only deflect the ball to Ferdi Kadioglu. His header was scraped off the line by Timothy Castagne.
Leno flapping at a scuffed Baleba shot was a further bad look for the German, though his outfield teammates were also struggling. Though Dunk almost deflected a Wilson cross into his own net, Brighton should have been disappointed with only a one-goal margin at the break. Baleba, in particular, was dominating the central areas, always first to loose balls, and making driving runs forward once the ball came into his possession.
Those few in the Riverside Stand’s executive facilities who made their way back to their seats in time for the second half will have caught a similar direction of travel. Dunk twice had headed chances from Brighton set pieces, Mitoma again fluffed a chance to lay up Welbeck and Baleba continued to dominate proceedings.
Marco Silva’s response was to throw on Ryan Sessegnon and Chukwueze in search of a spark but a Brighton second looked much more likely. Welbeck led the line expertly. It required a bookable Sander Berge foul to stop a solo run. The striker also laid up Ayari for another long-ranger, though this one flew over the bar.
And yet: the losses on concentration that pockmark Brighton’s season came to pass again, Joachim Andersen’s long ball found Chukwueze, and his finish raised the roof of the Johnny Haynes Stand. A yet bigger roar followed when Welbeck’s counterpunch goal was ruled out by the video assistant’s slide rule.
Welbeck, clearly in the mood, forced another Leno save with a powerful header. Baleba departed, his influence having faded, there remain doubts over his ability to perform over 90 minutes. James Milner, approaching Gareth Barry’s appearance record, came on. He could not prevent a Fulham win that came via Wilson’s moment of inspiration. Barely believable for Brighton, both Hürzeler and his captain, Dunk, shaking their heads at another game that got away.
