Marco Silva
Fulham manager Marco Silva expressed his delight following Fulham’s dramatic late victory over Brighton, despite acknowledging that his team was not at their best throughout the match. Fulham initially struggled after conceding in the first half, but they managed to turn the game around with crucial goals from Samuel Chukwueze and Harry Wilson.
Marco Silva said: “The aspect that should be more disappointing for us, how a goal can affect everything that we are doing well. That is the reality. First 25 minutes, we did what we planned, and we were the team on the front foot. We create a big, big chance with Raúl, we were always arriving in dangerous areas to create moments, we controlled almost everything from Brighton until that moment. They were 25 minutes in our level, I can say. And these things cannot happen with us, because it can boost their confidence, definitely, but it cannot change everything that we are doing so well. We have to show even more confidence in ourselves, trust what was the plan and what we were doing well. It’s a big disappointment for us, the last 20 minutes of the first half were not a good level. And because of that we suffered, and probably they had chances to score the second goal during that period. Second half, we knew that we had to take more risks, definitely. We dug in. We dug in all the second half. Even from the bench, we gave always forward inputs for the team to try to draw and [then] to win the game. The reality is that we scored a great goal for us – simple, but great. We need runs in behind, we need players to chase them in behind. A great moment from both, from Andersen and from Chukwu to equalise the game. And, after, they had the disallowed goal. It boosted ourselves, and in that moment the game can go either way, because both teams were trying to win the game. They didn’t stop trying to win, we were as well. And we scored a great goal from a free-kick from Harry Wilson. Big win for us – probably the fair result should be the draw, in my opinion. I think it’s harsh for them to lose the game the way they lost.”
Despite a shaky start, Fulham found themselves trailing after conceding in the first half, which frustrated Silva. The team, however, demonstrated resilience by rallying in the second half. Silva highlighted the importance of staying confident and adhering to their game plan, which initially saw them dominate the opening 25 minutes. The manager admitted that the last 20 minutes of the first half were below par, allowing Brighton opportunities to extend their lead.
In the second half, Fulham took more risks, which paid off when Andersen and Chukwueze combined to equalize. The disallowed goal for Brighton seemed to energize Fulham, creating a dynamic where both teams pushed for a win. Ultimately, Harry Wilson’s free-kick secured a vital victory for Fulham. Silva acknowledged that a draw might have been a fairer outcome, but he was pleased with the team’s ability to clinch the win.
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