Alex Iwobi scored twice as Fulham went into the top half Supreme League at Craven at Craven, at Brighton win Cottage.
The strikers were found alive after Iwobi’s open fire from Carlos Baleba again early in the second half. But Matt O’Riley’s own goal gave them the lead again and Iwobi hit his second to ensure Brighton were never beaten again. Fulham in the Premier League.
Just three minutes passed when Brighton handed Fulham the lead when Bart Verbruggen, playing the ball to his own goal, headed a few yards to the left.
The Dutchman was under minimal pressure, but his pass towards Baleba on the edge of the box was intercepted by Iwobi who dived into the net and curled the ball into the empty net before Verbruggen could rush.
Brighton almost hit back when Ian Paul van Hecke sent João Pedro’s through ball across goal, but his shot was beaten by Bernd Leno.
Moments later Fulham champion Calvin Bassey provided a one-man wall as he blocked the efforts of Baleba and João Pedro in quick succession. Leno saved Brighton’s best chance to equalize in the first half after Kaoru Mitoma fired in a cross from the byline.
O’Riley runs the ball to Simon Adingra, whose first-time shot from eight yards is deflected off the arm by the Fulham keeper. Fulham could have doubled their advantage at the stoppage time in the first half, but Rodrigo Muniz, starting the match for the first time since August, headed Antonia Robinson’s cross wide.
The Army had another chance immediately after the restart when Harry Wilson chased a high ball over the top only for it to rattle his target.
Fulham were called for a penalty when the ball hit Baleba’s arm in the area but the play was ruled out and VAR agreed. Brighton resisted the early pressure and responded by winning a corner which Van Hecke narrowly crossed.
Moments after the equaliser, Brighton’s slick short pass from Van Hecke came straight over the top.
Ioão Pedro made a clear cushioned ball into the path of Baleba, as the Cameroon youngster fired a low shot from the edge of the box past Leno into the corner. But Fulham went ahead again with 11 minutes remaining when substitute Andreas Pereira headed in a corner. The ball ran off Basseye’s head and into the back of the head of the unfortunate O’Riley.
With three minutes left, Iwobi broke away from two Brighton defenders before curling past Verbruggen into the bottom corner to secure victory for the up-and-coming hosts.
Post Newsletter promotion
Iwobi Amazon Prime said that he often felt that he was the scorer: “We wanted to win on the board after our last game against Spurs. Nothing better to do than to our place.
“I’m getting more goals, but it’s good to get them for the team. We know Brighton like to play and so we do. I could capitalize on the capital press.
“We know Brighton like to play from the back so we went with the structure and obviously worked for the first goal. But it is taken, it goes in, the goal is the goal. We wanted a goal from the set piece because we were a real threat last season.”
Fulham manager Marco Silva told Amazon First: “It was a big three points for us in a tough game. We started well with the first goal, but Brighton made things difficult for us in the first half. The three at the back started and it was difficult for us to connect with the wide players.