Alex Iwobi netted a brace as Fulham surged into the top half of the Premier League with a victory over Brighton at Craven Cottage. The Cottagers initially took the lead through Iwobi's swift opener, but Carlos Baleba's fine strike early in the second half leveled the score. However, Matt O'Riley's own goal restored Fulham's lead, and Iwobi's second goal ensured Brighton remains winless against Fulham in the Premier League.
Just three minutes into the match, Brighton inadvertently gifted Fulham the lead. Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, under minimal pressure, attempted a pass to Baleba on the edge of the box, which was intercepted by Iwobi. The Nigerian forward calmly slotted the ball into an empty net before Verbruggen could react.
Brighton nearly equalized when Jan Paul van Hecke's through-ball sent João Pedro clear, but Bernd Leno made a crucial save. Moments later, Fulham's Calvin Bassey blocked consecutive efforts from Baleba and João Pedro. Leno also denied Brighton's best chance to equalize in the first half, stopping Kaoru Mitoma's low cross.
O'Riley's error allowed Simon Adingra's shot to be blocked by Leno's instinctive save. Fulham could have doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time, but Rodrigo Muniz headed Antonee Robinson's cross wide.
The hosts had another chance shortly after the restart, but Harry Wilson's volley went off target. Fulham appealed for a penalty when the ball struck Baleba's arm in the area, but the VAR ruled against it. Brighton responded with a corner, which Van Hecke headed narrowly over.
The equalizer came from Van Hecke's straightforward ball over the top. João Pedro skillfully cushioned the ball into Baleba's path, and the Cameroonian youngster fired a low shot past Leno into the corner. However, Fulham regained the lead when Andreas Pereira's corner skimmed off Bassey's head and deflected off O'Riley.
With three minutes left, Iwobi evaded two Brighton defenders and curled a shot past Verbruggen into the far corner, securing the win for Fulham.
Iwobi expressed his desire to score more often, stating, "We wanted to secure a win after our last game against Spurs. No better place to do it than at our home. I should be scoring more, but it was good to contribute to the team's success."
Fulham's manager, Marco Silva, praised the team's performance, noting, "It was a crucial three points in a challenging match. We started well with the early goal, but Brighton made it difficult for us in the first half."
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