Brighton & Hove Albion

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Fulham and Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

Fulham fans

Robert: Certainly not a good performance from fulham, but the substitutions paid off for us.

Gilo: Strange game. Half the time we were being mauled by Brighton and I was thinking this could be 0-3 as they walked through our midfield time and time again. But we hung in and it was much better in the second half. Harry Wilson scored a wonder goal, though their goalkeeper looked at fault. All-in-all a weird game.

Rob: Rode our luck. Could have been game over before the substitutions. Kevin and Antonee Robinson not good enough. How does he start in front of Ryan Sessegnon? It was a lot better in the last 30 minutes, but the squad needs new recruits now if there is any chance of European qualification.

Ash: We got away with a robbery. We were very poor in the middle of the pitch and struggled at times to string simple passes together. We got lucky because of two bits of quality. We will take it and move on but the performance wasn't great.

Brighton fans

Steve: We played some lovely football and were the better team yet we squandered some great chances again. We were denied a goal by VAR and made a couple of late errors. The most frustrating result of the season.

Karina: Brighton really should have put the game to bed in the first half when they were clearly the better team. We needed earlier substitutions and a bit more strength when in the 50-50 situations.

David: Once again defeat from the jaws of victory with the usual claims from the head coach that Brighton were the better team. The better teams score more goals than the other side and cement that claim. Surely Tony Bloom is looking at a change of head coach before too long as the current playing system clearly does not work?

Jane: Shocking substitutions cost us the game. We just needed to hang on.

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari says the defeat to Fulham was down to a lack of team focus in the closing stages of the game.

Ayari produced a moment of magic to put the Seagulls in front in the first half but Fulham later equalised through substitute Samuel Chukwueze before Harry Wilson produced the winning strike in the 92nd minute

Wilson beat Bart Verbruggen from 25 yards with a free-kick awarded for a foul by Charalampos Kostoulas on Josh King.

"We know why we lost the game," said Ayari to BBC Radio Sussex. "It is the small details because we controlled the game for the most part.

"They ended up scoring and getting the three points. I think we deserved the three points, but this is the Premier League and you have to stay focused until the final whistle and in this game we did not.

"The most painful thing is knowing we could have walked away with all three points which are vital in this moment because the table is so tight.

"We are a good team and we are playing good football, but we need to do it for the full 90 minutes and not just parts of games.

"We need to stay focused and stay together as a group because the games are coming quick and we need to bounce back."

Listen to Ayari's full interview on BBC Sounds

Pundits Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Manchester City 2-0 Wolves

• Burnley 2-2 Tottenham

• Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham and Brighton were 11th and 12th heading into this week's Premier League fixture at Craven Cottage.

But the congested nature of the table meant European qualification is still a very realistic target for both sides this season.

Brighton's only continental adventure came in 2023-24 in the Europa League while the Cottagers have not featured in Europe since their outing in the same competition back in 2011-12.

So the stakes were higher than the league positions suggested and that is perhaps why the late 2-1 defeat to the Cottagers left Fabian Hurzeler and his players in a state of shock.

The Seagulls took he lead through Yasin Ayari in the first half and were the better side for much of the contest.

They had opportunities to double the lead through Ferdi Kadioglu and Pascal Gross - both of whom were denied by clearances off the line by Timothy Castagne.

Lewis Dunk and Danny Welbeck also went close early in the second half as they looked to put the result beyond doubt before Welbeck found the back of the net only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside by the video assistant referee.

As Brighton failed to take advantage of the opportunities - converting just one of the four big chances - Fulham capitalised on the two that came their way to mount the stunning comeback.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's defeat at Fulham: "That's football. Sometimes football is brutal and the better team loses.

"We controlled the things we could control and regarding the performance, it was one of the best we have played.

"VAR is one of those things you can't control so we have to accept it.

"Overall, we defended really good in the game, we controlled the game, but that's football - you have to understand it. Some people might be worried, but I see the team sticking together.

"Sometimes you need luck in football and we need to get the luck back. You can't complain, you have to keep working."

Did you know?

• That was the first time Brighton have lost a Premier League game courtesy of a 90th-minute winner since February 2024 (a 2-1 loss to Tottenham).

Listen to Hurzeler on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Fulham's performance

What did you make of Brighton's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Fulham manager Marco Silva makes two changes to the side that suffered a 1-0 defeat by Leeds last week.

Alex Iwobi starts on his return from Afcon, while Kevin also comes in as Ryan Sessegnon drops to bench and Sasa Lukic misses out with injury.

Fulham XI: Leno, Andersen, Jimenez, Wilson, Cuenca, Berge, Iwobi, Castagne, Kevin, Smith Rowe, Robinson.

Subs: Lecomte, Bassey, Reed, Cairney, Kusi-Asare, Chukwueze, King, Sessegnon, Diop.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler makes three changes from the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth.

Carlos Baleba, Olivier Boscagli and Yasin Ayari start in place of Brajan Gruda, Jack Hinshelwood and Joel Veltman.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, Baleba, Welbeck, Boscagli, Mitoma, Kadioglu, Gomez, Ayari, Gross.

Subs: Steele, Rutter, Minteh, Hinshelwood, Kostoulas, Milner, De Cuyper, Veltman, Coppola.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• West Ham v Sunderland (12:30)

• Burnley v Tottenham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Brighton

• Man City v Wolves - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Bournemouth v Liverpool (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Manchester City v Wolves" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Bournemouth v Liverpool", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

These two sides are next to each other in the table in 11th and 12th, and drew 1-1 at the start of the season, so you know this is going to be close.

Fulham will have Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze and Calvin Bassey back from the Africa Cup of Nations, and I am not reading too much into their last-gasp defeat at Leeds last week anyhow.

Brighton will create chances - they always do - and I am expecting them to score, but Fulham won this game 3-1 last season with Iwobi scoring twice and I am going for them again this time.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion will be out to break free of the Premier League's mid-table maelstrom when they meet at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Both teams saw dramatic late goals go in in their respective games last week. Fulham conceded a stoppage-time strike to lose 1-0 at Leeds United, while Brighton salvaged a point against Bournemouth thanks to an overhead kick from Charalampos Kostoulas.

Sitting 11th and 12th going into the weekend's fixtures, victory for either side would put them back in touch with the European places.

Fulham on the back foot

Fulham's six-game unbeaten run was ended by Leeds last time out and there is plenty for head coach Marco Silva to ponder.

Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey are back from the Africa Cup of Nations, and the Portuguese coach will be hopeful they can get Fulham on the front foot in games.

Off the ball this season, Fulham have been ponderous for large parts, with their 91 high turnovers – the amount of times they've earned possession in open play within 40 metres of the opponent's goal – comfortably the lowest of any team in the league.

They are also bottom for pressed sequences, a measure of how effectively a team disrupts their opponents' ability to play out from the back.

Much of the off-the-ball intensity is initiated by the forward line and, in 34-year-old Raul Jimenez, Fulham may not have the most dynamic pressing trigger.

The Mexico international has been valuable to the team with his goalscoring this season, though. All five of his strikes this campaign have put the team ahead – the highest 100% record of any player in the league in that category.

Seagulls' subs saving the day

There have been plenty of times in his second season in charge that head coach Fabian Hurzeler has failed to get things right from the start for Brighton. Often, though, he has been able to salvage matches with his in-game acumen.

Kostoulas' goal on Monday night was the ninth scored by a Seagulls substitute this season and the 14th goal involvement from a player coming off the bench. Brighton lead the way in both categories.

They have also made the joint most substitutions by any team in the Premier League this season. The only side that can match their 104 changes across 22 games so far are Fulham.

Last season, it was Silva who made the most effective changes in the Premier League, with 17 of their goals coming from substitutes. Brighton were second with 15.

So while things could start slowly on Saturday, both coaches have proven themselves well capable of altering the course of a contest.

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton defender Diego Coppola has attracted interest from clubs in Italy and France.

Fiorentina and Paris FC are among those monitoring the centre-back's situation, although there is currently no deal close to being agreed.

Any potential move, should interest develop further, would be loan-only, with Brighton not considering a permanent departure at this stage of the window.

Insiders close to the situation understand the interest remains exploratory rather than advanced, with no imminent talks expected between clubs.

The 22-year-old is also expected to be named in Brighton's squad for their Saturday trip to London to take on Fulham, underlining that he remains part of the club's short-term plans.

Coppola has continued his development on the south coast this season after signing with the club in the summer of 2025. He has started six matches in all competitions, with just two starts and a total of five appearances in the Premier League, and the Seagulls are understood to be relaxed about his situation, with no urgency to sanction a January exit unless the right opportunity arises.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham at Craven Cottage (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Maxium De Cuyper has recovered from his illness and will be available, but Mats Wieffer remains sidelined with a toe injury.

• Yankuba Minteh, who came on from the bench against Bournemouth, came through the game but may not be fit enough to start at Craven Cottage.

• Hurzeler said they "have survived this phase" of players being sick and "are now in a stable place" with "quite good" availability for Saturday.

• But despite having more players at his disposal "some are not able to start the game and have to be limited with game minutes" so Hurzeler and the coaching staff are still having to manage the team.

• On teenage forward Charalampos Kostoulas, who scored the equaliser against Bournemouth: "We all know his big potential, and he can really change the game for us. He is still a young player and, in a phase, where he needs to develop. We are pleased to have a good back up for Danny Welbeck."

• Hurzeler said Kostoulas is "pushing" for more time but Welbeck remains his first choice striker. He added: "It is certainly helpful to have two strikers."

• On Fulham: "Always a tough opponent because they are very mature and they know how to win games. It is a big challenge, but we will go there to try and win this game."

• Solly March returned to team training on Thursday and "looked quite sharp" so is edging closer to a return, but Hurzeler warned "it's very important that we don't immediately put pressure on him".

Hear more from Hurzeler on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

From the Premier League's elite to the soggy pitches of Sunday league, injuries are part and parcel of football - but which top-flight teams have been worst affected so far this season?

With help from injury expert Ben Dinnery, of premierinjuries.com,, external BBC Sport has examined which sides have been hit the hardest, the impact injuries can have on under-fire managers - and whether things are always as bad as they seem.

• Read more detail on how clubs have been affected by injuries here

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton defender Joel Veltman says Charalampos Kostoulas has "no ceiling" for what he can achieve.

Kostoulas, 18, converted a stunning overhead kick to salvage a 1-1 draw in Monday's league fixture with Bournemouth, notching his second goal in 16 appearances for the Seagulls.

"There's no ceiling for him as long as he works hard every day and is on it every day in training," Veltman told the Albion Unlimited podcast.

"Every chance needs to be a goal, in training, every session. He is a potential first 11. He has so many qualities it's ridiculous on an 18-year-old, it's crazy. Luckily we have him in our team."

Veltman missed more than a month of action with a calf injury earlier in the campaign but played the entirety of Monday's draw, as he did against Burnley earlier this month.

The 34-year-old is out of contract this summer but says after recently ironing out issues with his agent off the field, he is now in a position to discuss a deal with the club.

He told BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor: "I am really happy. I give everything for the club. It doesn't matter where we play or when, I give everything. It means a lot if we climb the table and if I can do it in the first 11, even more brilliant.

"I had some issues and the club knew that with agents. It's all sorted now. If the club wants something they know where to go basically."

Listen to the full episode here

Explore all Brighton content on BBC Sounds

Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up

Image source, Getty Images

Former Brighton striker Warren Aspinall, speaking about the Bournemouth draw on the latest episode of Albion Unlimited, said: "The big word for me is consistency, or lack of from the side.

"You see them turn up at Man Utd, great win. You see them in the first 10 minutes, moving the ball well, playing with confidence. Then boom, it just evaporated didn't it and Bournemouth controlled the game then, for 60 minutes.

"It's just so frustrating. Players losing their shape, isolating your team-mates. I'm talking about the wingers now, Mitoma and Gruda. It was comical at times.

"We can do things miles better.

"Consistency, that's what you want from a side. You don't mind if you're creating chances and getting in behind but we didn't. Gruda didn't beat his full-back once. He has to be stronger, he's weak. Mitoma has to do better on the other side, it's probably one of his worst games."

The podcast also features debate about the form of Diego Gomez and you can listen to the full episode here

Explore all Brighton content on BBC Sounds

Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up

Albion Unlimited has landed and this week's episode looks back on a draw with Bournemouth, while Joel Veltman discusses his future.

Throw in some debate over a trip to Fulham and there's plenty to get stuck into.

Listen to the full episode here

Explore all Brighton content on BBC Sounds

Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up

Joe Sayers
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Charalampos Kostoulas arrived on the south coast at the start of the season as a fresh-faced talent with glowing plaudits from his homeland.

It was certainly a substantial fee for a teenager at nearly £30m, so the pressure was always going to be immediate and somewhat unavoidable.

His introduction was far from smooth. A disrupted pre-season through injury meant his early involvement was limited and delayed his adaptation to the relentless physicality of the Premier League. For a teenager adjusting to a new league and surroundings, it was always going to take some time.

That needed patience felt justified with his first Premier League goal away at Manchester United. Since then, his confidence has certainly grown and is clearly benefitting from learning behind Danny Welbeck.

There was a sense that some supporters wanted to see an instant justification for his price tag, but it is worth remembering that we have never really signed players with just one season in mind. Babis Kostoulas was recruited for what he can become, not just what he can deliver right now.

One of the things I am most proud of as an Albion fan is our patience with young players. We provide such a nurturing environment where mistakes are seen as part of development, not reasons for judgement.

Whenever Kostoulas plays, the most encouraging sign is not simply the output, but the intent. He plays with a freedom born of belief from the manager and squad around him, a confidence that his raw ability can change a moment.

His goal against Bournemouth exemplifies this notion. To have the confidence in the 91st minute to set yourself up for a bicycle kick to snatch a point in a Premier League game is the definition of a player born for big moments.

I'm excited about what lies ahead for our new Greek talent. If his development continues on this path, it may not be long before the familiar refrain returns: "Brighton have done it again, where do they find these gems?"

Find more from Joe Sayers at Albion Obsessed, external

We asked for your thoughts after Monday's Premier League game between Brighton and Bournemouth.

Here are some of your comments:

Brighton fans

Jon: Another poor home performance. Not starting Minteh and Baleba was a huge error, which we paid for. Gruda is not up to the task - everyone appears to see that, apart from Hurzeler. We can forget European aspirations; at this rate, we will struggle to achieve mid-table mediocrity.

David: Unfortunately, back to slow, laborious, side-to-side play with the ball, giving the opposition time to organise their defence, and we do not have the players able to walk through defences. Bournemouth only had one thought with the ball: attack at speed. We needed to do that, couldn't and deserved no more than a point.

Anon: Brighton showed the urgency of a tortoise who is past its bedtime - until Minteh came on. But too often that is the case. They need to dwell less and hurry more.

Alfie: Very frustrating, but it seems to be the Brighton way at the moment. Let the opponent take the lead in the first half and then work hard in the second and get a lucky last-minute equaliser! Tony Bloom always talks about sustainability, but attempting to play matches like this is anything but that!

Bournemouth fans

Jools: Cherries have punched above their weight for so long that it has become expected. Many of our closest rivals have got bigger, and now we are gasping for breath!

Peter: A gutsy away performance by AFCB. Adli's best start, and Evanilson was unlucky not to score. We did have to hang on, but it is clear that the players were worn out, and we desperately need reinforcements. Bravo Jimenez, excellent again!

Anon: If only we had managed to stay on our feet then we might have got more from the game.

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Clear and obvious? That is the question Brighton will probably be asking after Bournemouth's VAR penalty.

Had referee Paul Tierney identified the contact by Bart Verbruggen on Amine Adli and simply said 'no penalty', then a pitchside review was unlikely. His description would have been a justifiable interpretation.

The intervention from the VAR was based around Tierney getting that wrong. Tierney booked the Bournemouth attacker for simulation. That was incorrect and it opened the door for a review.

The VAR still had to feel this reached the threshold for a penalty, though. There was an argument that the contact was slight and not enough to make Adli go down.

A key factor was that Verbruggen's challenge made in an irregular way, with a high boot catching the thigh of Adli after he had gone past.

That Adli may not have been able to keep the ball in play does not matter, only that it was still in when the foul contact happened.

Read the full piece here

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "In the end we lost the rhythm after we conceded the goal, and that is something we have to do better. In the second half we had big opportunities. We wanted to win this game, in the end we have to accept the point, but I think we definitely deserved to win this game.

"We wasted 20 minutes in the first half after the goal, and we could use them much more effectively. In the second half, we were better in positioning, and then I think that we had the game under control and we could score more than one goal."

On the Bournemouth penalty: "A lot of people have different views on that. In the end, I think that if you really see it, I don't see a penalty there. I don't know why [his assistant was booked], he was only watching from our bench. It was an emotional game. You will have to ask the referee."

On Charalampos Kostoulas' equaliser: "Yes, nice goal. We all know what he is capable of. But, we all prefer to win."

On just one win in nine: "We need to make the small margins right and that is what we definitely have to improve. We keep on working, and we need to understand that we need to bring a consistency into our behaviours. That is what we will work on."

Forward Charalampos Kostoulas speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I feel happy for my goal, but today we really needed three points. It was our aim from the start of the game, but we take one point at the end and keep going.

"Many fouls, many stoppages of time, many runs up and down - we knew that from before. We need to keep going and be more ready for these types of games."

On his overhead kick goal: "Yeah, I do it a lot. I really like them. My career is not really long, so yes [it's the best he has scored], but in the future think I will score much better goals."

On Brighton picking up one win in their last nine: "I didn't know that statistic, but we have to change it as soon as possible."

Did you know?

• Brighton have won just two of their 17 Premier League games played on a Monday, drawing 11 and losing four, winning just one of these games on home soil (P12 D7 L4).

• Through Danny Welbeck (35), Pascal Groß (34), Lewis Dunk (34) and Joël Veltman (34), Brighton became the first side to name 4+ outfield players aged 34+ in their starting XI for a Premier League game since Wolves v Aston Villa back in December 2003 (Denis Irwin, Paul Ince, Oleg Luzhny & Alex Rae).

Listen to Hurzeler on BBC Sounds

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Before the game, head coach Fabian Hurzeler said Brighton would need to treat their remaining Premier League games as "finals" if they were to qualify for Europe.

Although the German's comment was slightly hyperbolic, he will be delighted with his side's spirit after the Seagulls battled until the 91st minute to extend their unbeaten run across all competitions to five games.

The point keeps Brighton within touching reach of Chelsea, who currently occupy the Premier League's sixth and final European slot, before favourable match-ups against Fulham, Everton and Crystal Palace.

The club's quest to qualify for Europe for only the second time will be boosted by the returns of Yankuba Minteh and Carlos Baleba, two players crucial to Hurzeler's plans and absent from recent Premier League matches.

Prior to Minteh's introduction, Brighton looked out of sorts and failed to really test Djordje Petrovic between the sticks

In a game of few chances, it was the Gambia international who, prior to Charalampos Kostoulas' equaliser, provided the spark for his side.

In the end, a point flattered Brighton after a lacklustre performance Hurzeler wouldn't have expected when he issued a battle cry to his side at the end of last week.

But Brighton's refusal to accept defeat could prove valuable come the business end of the season – and that alone will please Hurzeler.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brighton's performance

What did you make of Bournemouth's display?

Come back on Tuesday for a selection of your replies