Alex Iwobi’s two goals helped Fulham secure a 3-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in a Premier League match on Thursday. The game was marked by a major blunder from Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who gifted Fulham an early lead. In the fourth minute, Verbruggen attempted to pass the ball out from the back but made a poor pass straight to Iwobi. The Fulham forward made no mistake, tapping the ball into the open net. Iwobi reflected on the goal, saying, “We know that Brighton like to play out from the back so we came up with a structure and it obviously worked for the first goal. We take it, however it goes in, a goal is a goal.”
Brighton captain Lewis Dunk was upset by the referee’s decision to allow the goal, arguing that he was fouled during the build-up. “How the ref or VAR can’t see it, it is what it is,” Dunk said. “It’s annoying. If you watch the replay, it’s a clear foul, a push in my back.”
Despite the early setback, Brighton were the more dangerous side for much of the match. They equalized in the 56th minute when Carlos Baleba finished a low shot from the edge of the box after a backheeled assist from Joao Pedro, celebrating with a backflip. However, Fulham regained the lead in the 79th minute, when a corner from Andreas Pereira hit Brighton’s Matt O’Riley and deflected into the net.
Iwobi sealed the win with his second goal eight minutes later, when he latched onto a pass from Antonee Robinson, spun past a defender, and placed the ball into the far corner.
Fulham manager Marco Silva praised his team’s resilience, stating, “It was a big three points for us in a tough game.” The win pushed Fulham up to sixth in the table, just one point behind Brighton in fifth. Brighton, meanwhile, squandered several opportunities, with Joao Pedro’s shot saved by Bernd Leno and Simon Adingra firing wide. Dunk expressed his frustration, saying, “I don’t think the scoreline reflects the game… we were the better team, but that’s football.”
