‘Harsh’ way for Brighton to lose says Marco Silva

Marco Silva admitted that Fulham were fortunate to come away with all three points after edging past Albion in a dramatic contest, conceding that a draw would probably have been a fairer outcome.

The Fulham head coach watched his side snatch a 2-1 victory thanks to a stunning injury-time free-kick from Harry Wilson, a moment of quality that ultimately decided a game that could easily have gone either way. While Silva was pleased with the result and the resilience his team showed, he was honest in his assessment that the performance itself did not fully merit the win.

Albion had taken the lead through Yasin Ayari and looked well placed to build on their advantage. They even thought they had gone ahead again at 1-1 when Danny Welbeck found the net, only for the goal to be ruled out following a very tight VAR offside decision. That marginal call proved pivotal, shifting the momentum and allowing Fulham to stay alive in the contest before delivering the decisive blow late on.

Silva felt his side started well and were the stronger team in the opening stages, but he acknowledged that the goal they conceded disrupted their rhythm. After falling behind, Fulham struggled to fully regain control and found it difficult to impose themselves for long spells, as Albion continued to press and compete aggressively.

Reflecting on the match, Silva expressed sympathy for Albion and recognised how cruel the outcome was for them. He stressed that both teams approached the game with the clear intention of winning and never stopped pushing for a positive result.

“The game can go either way because both teams are trying to win, and they didn’t stop believing,” Silva explained. “We were the same. In the end, we scored a fantastic goal from a free-kick by Harry Wilson, and that made the difference.”

Despite celebrating a valuable victory, Silva was candid in saying that a draw would have better reflected the balance of play. He described the defeat as harsh on Albion, particularly given the circumstances surrounding the disallowed Welbeck goal.

“Probably the fair result should have been a draw,” he admitted. “It’s tough for them to lose the game in the way they did, but football can be like this.”

Silva also pointed out that Fulham have previously suffered from similarly tight decisions going against them, including marginal offsides. This time, however, luck was on their side, and the decision gave his team a lift at a crucial moment.

“In this match, the small offside went in our favour and gave us a boost,” he added, pleased to take advantage as Fulham secured a significant three points.