Brighton had never beat Fulham in the Premier League, broke another record through this beautiful, upward mobile club in recent years, Joao Pedro's 98th minute penalty that seals this newest piece of history.
It was sometimes not the most beautiful victories, and Fulham will return to West -Londs that is understandably hurt not to have picked up at least one point, but for this young and lively side of Brighton did not do it in the least.
Especially the first half was without rhythm or fluency. Raul Jimenez's 10th league goal of the season broke the impasse, but Jan Paul van Hecke led the Seagulls back in a hectic first half final.
Brighton pushed and pushed through a scrappy second half, apparently destined to land the murderous blow in this European race, until they received the reward for their efforts. With seconds on the clock, Sam Barrott blew his whistle for a penalty, giving Pedro, the coolest and calmest man in Sussex, the hope of Fulham in style. Cue pandemonium. Cue destruction.
With only one point between them in the table, and everything to play for in the race for European football, it felt like these two were sometimes too well matched.
Brighton and Fulham swell half -magazines exchanged for 35 minutes. Despite clear versions of Yankuba Minth, Emile Smith Rowe and Yasin Ayari, there was little to put the pulse races earlier, out of almost nothing, Alex Iwobi and Jimenez combined for a goal in both its simplicity and its implementation.
Iwobi took the ball in his own half and sprinted the right before he rose to the rear stick for Jimenez to go down and fire between Bart Verbruggen and the nearby pole on the half volley, which fell into the process.
However, the management lasted only six minutes, and it was another oh-so-simple goal, this time from Hecke Ghosting in the box that was not marked to go home to the free kick of Yasin Ayari in the post and the draw.
Brighton did not have much time to take advantage of the momentum shift at the end of the first half, but they made up for that at the start of the second.
Within four minutes they came close to the leadership, Pedro and Rutter who combined for a goal of the season band, had the finish of the Brazilian in the upper right corner and not painfully wide.
Brighton beat louder and louder on the door; This time Kaoru Mitoma found the back of the night, but was refused by the offside flag. Fulham had to wake up quickly before an upheld Brighton left them behind.
Fulham answered the call, even if it took them 15 minutes to collect a long -term spell of possession.
Timothy Castagne pushed higher on the field past Iwobi and caused damage to the overlap, but the bustling frontmen of Brighton kept them honest.
Both parties struggled for control over a game that became scrappier per minute. With an absence of clear opportunities, Iwobi can feel that he could have done more with a free shot on the edge of the box at 79 minutes. As it was, he shot straight at Van Hecke.
Brighton came in the vicinity of near-immersdiary punishment four minutes later, but with the aim of his mercy, Danny Welbeck somehow went wide of the mark completely without opposition from six meters.
Again, Fulham was spared by the offside flag, this time Simone Adingra, seconds from the couch, in 87 minutes, and you just felt that Brighton was destined to grab the winner.
The seconds ticked up in the 89th minute, and yet the hosts pressed. One of Hecke Drive of Range was hoverless and did not come close to Leno's goal, but in the end the decisive touch fell for one man who had wanted Brighton fans.
A clumsy challenge from Harrison Reed brought Pedro down, and after a long waiting time, the Brazilian set himself, hit the spot and all three points, rightly, for the seagulls, who float closer to their European dream.
Comments