By Our Man at Craven Cottage
HARRY WILSON is fast becoming the undisputed King of the Cottage. On a biting Saturday afternoon where the Thames seemed to freeze over, the Welsh wizard produced a moment of pure, unadulterated heat to melt Brighton’s resolve.
His 92nd-minute free-kick didn’t just secure a 2-1 win for Fulham—it sent a message that Marco Silva’s men are serious contenders for Europe.
For 70 minutes, it looked like a very different story.
Brighton, slick and organized under Fabian Hurzeler, had the hosts dancing to their tune. Yasin Ayari—the Seagulls’ burgeoning star—stole the spotlight in the first half, unleashing a 28th-minute thunderbolt that flew into the roof of the net.
Chuk-ing a Lifeline
Fulham looked leggy, missing the spark that has seen them climb the table. But Silva’s bench has become his secret weapon.
Enter Samuel Chukwueze.
Returning from AFCON duty with a point to prove, the Nigerian international needed only 13 minutes on the pitch to make his mark.
He latching onto a trademark raking pass from Joachim Andersen—who was a titan at the back all afternoon—and slotted past Bart Verbruggen to level the scores in the 72nd minute.
VAR Drama
The game then descended into the kind of chaotic drama the Premier League lives for. Just 80 seconds after the equalizer, Danny Welbeck thought he’d restored Brighton’s lead. He finished coolly, the away end erupted, but the “silent assassin” in Stockley Park intervened.
VAR ruled the veteran striker offside by a kneecap, handing Fulham a reprieve they barely deserved but greedily took.
The Wilson Special
As the clock ticked into the red, the stage was set for Fulham’s Man of the Moment. When Charalampos Kostoulas clipped Josh King 25 yards out, there was only ever one man taking it.
Harry Wilson stepped up, ignored the tension, and whipped a fierce, dipping effort toward the top corner.
Verbruggen got a glove to it, but the power was too much. The ball hit the net, the Cottage went berserk, and Wilson cemented his status as the league’s most inform attacker not named Erling Haaland.
”It’s an amazing feeling,” Wilson said after the whistle, clutching his Man of the Match trophy.
“When you score that late in front of the home fans to win it, there’s nothing better.”
For Brighton, it’s a brutal lesson in finishing your chances. For Fulham, it’s seventh place and the feeling that with Wilson on the pitch, anything is possible.
