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FA CUP 5TH ROUND
Highlights of the Stoke game taken from Youtube
18th February 2022
18th February 2022
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 0 FULHAM 1( Manor Solomon 1 - 88 minutes ) -
PREMIER LEAGUE - at the AMERICAN EXPRESS COMMUNITY STADIUM, FALMER.
Sixth-placed Albion (35 points from 21 games) welcomed seventh-placed Fulham (35 points from 23 games) to the Amex for a Premier League encounter, in a match broadcast by BBC Radio Sussex Sport.
In their previous Premier League outing the Seagulls had drawn 1-1 at Crystal Palace on the 11 February, For the visit of Fulham the Albion made one change to their starting line-up from the Palace game, with Evan Ferguson coming in for Deniz Undav.
Last season Fulham had gained promotion to the Premier after finishing top of the Sky Bet Championship. Last time out in the Premier, Fulham beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Craven Cottage on the 11 February. For their visit to the Amex, Fulham Head Coach Marco Silva was forced to make one change to his starting line-up from the Forest game, with Harry Wilson replacing the injured Aleksandar Mitrovic.
On the Fulham substitutes bench was former Albion stalwart Shane Duffy.
In the reverse fixture earlier this season on the 30 August 2022 at Craven Cottage, Fulham won 2-1, with their goals coming from Aleksandar Mitrovic 1 (48m) and Lewis Dunk 1, own goal (55m). Albion's reply came from Alexis Mac Allister 1, penalty (60m).
It was all Albion from the start, as Pervis Estupinan and Solly March combined nicely to set-up Evan Ferguson but the young Irishman's shot missed the bar by inches.
Within minutes Kaoru Mitoma's pass from the left found March who cut in from the right but his well-placed shot missed the far post by inches. The Seagulls could so easily have been 2-0 up in the opening ten minutes. Albion continued in the same dominating manner, Estupinan had a goal-bound shot deflected, Joel Veltman then saw his close-range volley blocked and Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno made two fine interventions, bravely diving at the feet of Ferguson to divert the ball and then hanging on to a volley from Alexis Mac Allister. The Albion should have been out sight at the interval.
Half-time 0-0.
The second-half opened with the Albion again on the front foot. Lewis Dunk planted a header wide from a Pascal Gross corner, when he should have scored.
Next Seagulls had an appeal for a penalty denied when Veltman appeared to have been fouled by defender Antonee Robinson in the box. Keeper Leno made an excellent save to deny Mac Allister. Substitute Tariq Lamptey then wastefully fired a shot over the bar, after Gross had set him up and the busy Leno made another save to keep out a Mac Allister effort. Albion made a double substitution on 73 minutes, sending on Facundo Buonanotte for Adam Webster and Deniz Undav for Ferguson.
Within minutes Buonanotte had poked Undav's centre into the Fulham net but the goal was disallowed for offside against Undav. Then to cap it all, with two minutes remaining Fulham staged the ultimate act of piracy as substitute Carlos Vinicius fed fellow substitute Manor Solomon and the Israeli international, on loan from Shaktar Donetsk ran some fifty yards unchallenged before unleashing a low left foot shot past keeper Robert Sanchez and into the Albion net. The Seagulls supporters were stunned by this act of daylight robbery. 0-1.
In added time the Albion came close to equalising but Mac Allister's free-kick from 20 yards out missed the target by a whisker. An extraordinary game as Fulham headed back to West London with the three points and a league double over Albion this season.
In the tunnel, after the game, Albion Head Coach Roberto De Zerbi received a red card from Referee Darren England for "comments"!
Final-score 0-1.
Albion had 21 shots at goal, with 7 on target and won 10 corners, free-kicks conceded - 12.
Fulham had 5 shots at goal, with 2 on target and won 2 corners, free-kicks conceded - 14.
TO SUM UP - Albion's inability to convert their chances cost them dear in this one and the loss of three points. Fulham soaked up Albion pressure throughout and in their one decent attack picked up the spoils. All aspects of Albion's play were good. save for their finishing being dreadful.
Albion line-up (4-2-3-1):- Robert Sanchez; Joel Veltman, Adam Webster (Facundo Buonanotte 73), Lewis Dunk (Capt), Pervis Estupinan (Tariq Lamptey 62); Pascal Gross, Moises Caicedo; Solly March, Alexis Mac Allister, Kaoru Mitoma; Evan Ferguson ( Deniz Undav 73).
Subs not used: Jason Steele (G/K), Jan Paul Van Hecke, Yasin Ayari, Julio Enciso, Jeremy Sarmiento, Jack Hinshelwood.
Fulham line-up (4-2-3-1):- Bernd Leno; Kenny Tete, Issa Diop, Tim Ream (Capt), Antonee Robinson; Harrison Reed, Joao Palhinha; Harry Wilson (Carlos Vinicius 62), Andreas Pereira (Manor Solomon 82), Willian; Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
Subs not used: Marek Rodak (G/K), Layvin Kurzawa, Tosin Adarabioyo, Shane Duffy, Cedric Soares, Sasa Lukic, Dan James.
Referee: Darren England (South Yorkshire). Assistant Referees: Dan Crook. Daniel Robathan. Fourth Official: James Linington. VAR Official: Andre Marriner.
Red Card: Albion: 1 - Roberto De Zerbi.
Yellow Cards: Fulham: 5 - Issa Diop, Antonee Robinson, Joao Palhinha, Carlos Vinicius, Willian.
Possession: Albion - 65%. Fulham - 35%.
BBC Sport Player of the Match: Manor Solomon (Fulham).
Attendance: 31619.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES:
28 FEBRUARY 2023 - STOKE CITY - away - FA Cup Fifth Round -
kick-off 19.15. "Live" on ITV4.
4 MARCH 2023 - WEST HAM UNITED - home - Premier League -
kick-off 15.00.