A brilliant stoppage-time free-kick from Harry Wilson saw Fulham come from behind to earn a dramatic 2-1 win over Brighton at Craven Cottage.
An uninspiring match appeared destined for a draw when Wilson, already with seven Premier League goals to his name in what is turning into an outstanding season, stepped up from 20 yards out and shot for the corner, the ball evading the desperate dive of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen who could only push it into the roof of the goal.
Marco Silva’s side had been poor, labouring in front of their own fans since falling behind to a long range effort by Yasin Ayari that slipped through the hands of Bernd Leno.
Their equaliser after the break through substitute Samuel Chukwueze was more than their performance to that point had warranted, and things could have been worse had Danny Welbeck not seen a goal ruled out by the narrowest offside decision.
No team in the league had drawn more matches than Brighton’s nine this season but simply being tricky to beat will not alone propel Fabian Hurzeler’s team towards the European places. Victories had been harder to come by — only one in their previous nine — and there will be frustration that they not only failed to hold their lead here but came away with nothing.
Fulham had early half-chances for Kevin, Jorge Cuenca and Wilson inside the opening 20 minutes but none of them kept their efforts low enough to trouble Verbruggen.
The first real openings were for Raúl Jiménez, sent through on goal but unable to slip the ball by Brighton’s goalkeeper who raced out well to save, then with a volley crashed straight against Lewis Dunk.
It was then quite against the run of play when Brighton went ahead after 28 minutes but Fulham had only themselves to blame. Nobody in white got near Ayari as he advanced infield from out near the left-hand touchline, and the shot that followed, though well-struck, should not have slipped as it did through the hands of Leno.
Fulham’s goalkeeper partially made amends moments later when saving with his foot from Karou Mitoma. Ayari’s header on the rebound was well cleared off the line by the recovering Timothy Castagne.
Welbeck was inches from connecting with Mitoma’s header across goal and doubling Brighton’s lead at the start of the second half.
Fulham’s last-gasp defeat to Leeds a week ago had been their first loss in seven but their showing since going a goal behind was more reminiscent of their four-game losing run in the autumn.
Chukwueze’s equaliser in the 72nd minute was beautifully taken. Joachim Andersen sent a perfectly weighted, raking ball down the right that sailed over the head of Olivier Boscagli. The AC Milan loanee raced behind the defender, took a single touch to control and applied a simple finish across Verbruggen into the corner.
Welbeck had the ball in the net almost immediately from Mitoma’s pass before VAR ruled that inches of the striker’s upper arm had been ahead of the last defender. Undeterred, Welbeck tried again with a header from Pascal Gross’ cross, pushed over the bar by Leno.
A draw might have been fair, but Wilson wrote another page in his brilliant individual season at the death.
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