Alex Iwobi delivered a strong all-round performance as Fulham came from behind to beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 at Craven Cottage in a dramatic Premier League matchday 23 clash on Saturday.
Fresh from AFCON 2025 duty, the Nigerian midfielder was central to Fulham’s control of the game as they looked to recover from the end of their six-game unbeaten run, which had been halted by Leeds in their previous outing. Both teams went into the contest eager to break clear of the congested mid-table group, and head coach Marco Silva had plenty riding on a positive response from his side.
Fulham started brightly but were punished against the run of play in the 28th minute. Yasin Ayari was not closed down, ran past two Fulham players to the edge of the penalty area and fired in a powerful shot. Bernd Leno got his hands to the effort but could not stop it from crossing the line.
The hosts pushed for an equaliser but found it difficult to break down Brighton’s organised defence for much of the second half. Silva introduced Samuel Chukwueze in the 59th minute to add pace and directness, and the change quickly paid off.
In the 72nd minute, Fulham went long from the back. Joachim Andersen launched a ball forward that sailed over Olivier Boscagli, and Chukwueze raced onto it before finishing calmly into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.
Brighton thought they had retaken the lead just 90 seconds later when Danny Welbeck ran onto a through ball and finished well, but the effort was ruled out for offside, much to Fulham’s relief.
The home side completed the turnaround deep into stoppage time. In the 92nd minute, Harry Wilson curled a brilliant free kick from 25 yards past the wall. Bart Verbruggen got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out as Fulham sealed all three points.
The win ended Fulham’s seven-game winless run in Premier League matches when conceding first, a sequence that stretched back to their 3-1 victory over Brentford on 20 September. The result lifts Fulham to seventh place with 34 points, while Brighton drop to 12th with 31 points.
Alex Iwobi, who was taken off in the 88th minute for Joshua King, completed 36 of his 44 passes, had one shot blocked, made one interception and one clearance, and recorded four recoveries, underlining his influence in midfield.
