Wilson's wizardry lifts Fulham up to seventh
Sammy reviews a fine weekend for FFC
Harry Wilson, he’s done it again. The Welshman’s season of a lifetime reached new heights on Saturday, as his stoppage time free-kick secured us an unexpected three points against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Of all our ten league wins this season, this was probably the least convincing, maybe on a par with that 1-0 Leeds victory. As with that game we had a dodgy moment from an opponent to thank for our late winner.
For large parts of Saturday’s game we were comfortably second best, as we struggled to break down Fabian Hürzeler’s well-drilled side. Carlos Baleba was a man-mountain in the middle of the park and you could really see what all the fuss is about.
In fairness, we were good until Yasin Ayari’s shock opener. Bernd Leno probably could have done a little bit better with the shot, but you can’t deny that it was an absolute bullet.
From that point, I really feared a bleak and uninspiring 1-0 defeat. It just felt like one of those matches of football where things weren’t going to go our way. Fulham were creating nothing and the Seagulls looked much more likely to grab the game’s second goal
I’d like to say that our depth saved us, and whilst it was a substitute in Chukwueze who scored the crucial equaliser, it was hardly the result of sustained pressure.
Andersen’s sumptuous ball caught everyone in Craven Cottage unaware, including Brighton’s Olivier Boscagli - and Samu’s smart finish sparked this match into life.
The real swing moment in this game though came just moments later when Danny Welbeck’s goal was ruled out for offside. Whilst Florian Wirtz was able to have some tolerance at the Putney End, the veteran England striker wasn’t afforded the same privilege.
Obviously, I’m delighted that the goal was ruled offside, but let’s be honest - that kind of a decision is total bullshit. Remember the days where we’d look at a potential offside decision and we’d just conclude that it was level? The similarities with the ESR disallowed goal against Palace back in December were uncanny.
It proved to be a crucial moment, as Fulham found their own winner - and there was no way this one could be chalked off by VAR. Harry Wilson’s free-kick was well-struck, but should not really have led to a goal. Bart Verbruggen’s hands had the structural integrity of a Rich Tea biscuit, meaning that the Welshman’s shot squirmed into the Hammersmith End net.
The 2-1 victory pushed Fulham up to 7th in the table and as of Monday morning, that’s where we remain. Assuming that England receives fives Champions League places as expected, Fulham find themselves just four points from the unthinkable.
There’s a long way to go, but this really felt like a seismic win. No other Premier League team has picked up more points than Fulham in the last 8 games - despite the Leeds blip, this really is a team in form.
Post-match, myself and Dan were on the Quick Take, revelling in that late and dramatic win. Also, I’d recommend checking out Owen’s regular column and George's Player Ratings if you want some more reading on the win.
The podcast will be out later today where no doubt we’ll also discuss the latest transfer rumours, with The Athletic reporting that we’ve made a second bid of £28m for PSV’s American striker Ricardo Pepi.
January might always feel like the longest month, but Fulham look to be giving us a very positive end to it. A Harry Wilson contract would be the icing on top…
I think we should be very happy , good teams win ugly . I think you can be little to critical at times I remember the Tommy Trinder days I very much enjoy your publication
As a Liverpool fan, lovely to see Harry finally delivering on a consistent basis. Talent has always been there, so too the humility and capacity for hard work. Perhaps all he needed was a little bit more added maturity.