Late Pedro penalty snatches Brighton victory over Fulham

By SABC Sport
9th March 2025

A last-minute penalty from Joao Pedro gave Brighton and Hove Albion a dramatic 2-1 win over Fulham on Saturday, enhancing their chances of qualifying for European football.

The victory, Brighton's fourth consecutive league win, lifted them two spots up to sixth in the standings with 46 points from 28 matches, just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who were defeated 1-0 by Nottingham Forest earlier in the day. Fulham, meanwhile, remain in ninth place.

Pedro, reflecting on his match-winning penalty, said, "I work for that. I try to stay calm. I was happy to score the winning goal, three points, and I'm very happy. They had their chance to win."

He continued, "I think both teams tried to play their games. We didn't create that much either. It was a tough game. Every team dreams of being in a European tournament. Now we just focus on Manchester City next week."

In a contest between two teams having strong campaigns and looking to break the Premier League's traditional power structure, it was Fulham who struck first.

After a measured opening 30 minutes, Alex Iwobi ignited the match with a determined run down the right wing. He delivered a perfect cross that Raul Jimenez controlled with his chest and slotted past Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen in the 35th minute.

"When I won the ball, I saw a lot of space and decided to keep running. I saw Raul, and I know he likes to get to the back post. It was a difficult ball to control and finish," Iwobi explained to Sky Sports.

"Unfortunately, today was not the result we wanted. We want to keep treating each game like a final," he added.

Brighton responded quickly, equalizing just five minutes later when Jan Paul van Hecke, left unmarked at the back post, headed home a free kick from Yasin Ayari for his first goal for the club.

In the second half, Brighton came out with more urgency. Kaoru Mitoma had a goal ruled out for offside in the 55th minute, prompting manager Fabian Hurzeler to make attacking substitutions, bringing on Danny Welbeck and Solly March.

The changes injected life into Brighton's attack, and they created several chances in the final 15 minutes. Welbeck narrowly missed the target with a header, and VAR played a role, ruling out two Brighton opportunities - a penalty claim for a foul on Pervis Estupinan and a goal from Simon Adingra due to offside.

Just as the game seemed destined for a draw, Pedro was fouled by Harrison Reed in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The Brazilian calmly converted the resulting penalty, securing all three points for Brighton.

This victory also marked Brighton's first-ever Premier League win over Fulham, ending a nine-match winless streak against the London side that dated back to 2017.