Fulham manager Marco Silva has heaped praise on Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze after the Nigerian came off the bench to ignite his side’s 2–1 Premier League victory against Brighton & Hove Albion at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Chukwueze, who returned from AFCON 2025 duty, levelled the game in the 72nd minute by connecting with Joachim Andersen’s long pass to steer the hosts back on terms after Brighton had taken an early lead through Yasin Ayari. The win was sealed deep into stoppage time when Harry Wilson curled home a spectacular free-kick to hand Fulham all three points.
Silva singled out the Nigerian for his impact and movement, emphasising how crucial his run behind Brighton’s high press was to creating the equaliser. “The reality is that we scored a great goal for us – simple, but great,” Silva said, adding that Andersen and Chukwueze’s interplay was exactly what Fulham needed against a team that defends aggressively.
This was Chukwueze’s third goal and fourth assist in the Premier League this season, underlining his growing influence in Fulham’s attack since joining on loan from AC Milan. His goal not only sparked the comeback but helped push Fulham up the table.
EDITORIAL
There are moments in football that define more than just a scoreline they reflect the subtle alchemy of timing, confidence and collective intent. Samuel Chukwueze’s introduction and subsequent equaliser for Fulham against Brighton was one such moment a demonstration of how a player, returning from international duty, can shift both momentum and narrative in a single action.
Fulham’s encounter with Brighton was a microcosm of Premier League unpredictability a first-half deficit against a disciplined opponent, followed by a tactical pivot that rewrote the contest. In this, Chukwueze’s role was not just functional but catalytic. His movement encouraged by Andersen’s audacious long ball punctured Brighton’s structure, offering his side the impetus they needed to believe. It was no accident that Silva referenced the need for “runs in behind” in Chukwueze’s goal lay the very embodiment of that strategic intent.
Yet football’s narrative arc seldom ends at equalisation. The drama of Harry Wilson’s stoppage time free-kick a moment of sheer technique and nerve underscored the broader truth of the game: opportunities are transient, and the brave seize them when least expected. Silva’s praise for his Nigerian spark reflects a coach attuned to both the aesthetic grace of individual brilliance and the momentum such moments can instil in a team.
In the broader story of Fulham’s season a campaign marked by resilience and flashes of individual inspiration — Chukwueze’s performance was more than a goal it was a statement. It reminded supporters that the marriage of tactical awareness and spontaneous invention remains football’s most enduring spectacle.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Samuel Chukwueze scored his equaliser in the 72nd minute, coming off the bench to change the game’s momentum.
- The goal came from a long pass by Joachim Andersen, noted as an exceptionally long assist and part of Fulham’s attacking strategy.
- Harry Wilson clinched the victory with a 92nd-minute free-kick, his fifth match-winning goal in the Premier League this season.
- Chukwueze has now contributed three goals and four assists in this Premier League campaign, showing his importance in Fulham’s attack.
- This victory lifted Fulham to seventh place in the Premier League table, keeping them in contention for European qualification.
