The Media Review: Joao strikes to beat Cottagers

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Nick Szczepanik

2025-03-09T09:10+00:00

Joao Pedro scored with virtually the last kick of the game to secure the 2-1 win. 📷 by Simon Roe.

If the frantic rewriting of intros has a sound, then you would have heard it reverberating loudly over the Amex press box at the end of Albion’s 2-1 victory over Fulham.

With sports desks eyeing early-edition print deadlines, Joao Pedro’s winner in the 98th minute required some rapid rejigging, but the reporters on the case proved equal to the task.

In The Sun on Sunday, Isabelle Barker noted the fact that time seemed to have run out for Fabian Hurzeler’s men, writing that “Joao Pedro fired home the winning penalty as Brighton were awarded a last-gasp spot-kick after the fifth and final minute of injury time.

“Referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot 30 seconds after injury time was up, after what looked like a soft foul from Harrison Reed on Pedro. Pedro stepped up and ended Brighton’s curse against Fulham, having never won in all of their previous nine Premier League meetings.

“In the first-half Jan Paul van Hecke had cancelled out Raul Jimenez’s opener as nothing could separate these two Europe chasers. The Dutch defender stormed into the box and headed back Yasin Ayari’s free-kick the other way, well beyond Bernd Leno.”

In The Sunday Times, James Gheerbrant described Albion as ‘entertaining, intelligently-assembled” and managed to find the time and space to detail the goals as well as wondering whether Albion could win seven on the bounce in response to a certain result in Nottingham last month. He described the equaliser as “surely one of the most satisfying headers of the season: van Hecke steaming onto Yasin Ayari's lofted free kick, meeting it full-pelt, and connecting in such a way that the ball faded beautifully inside the far post.”

Of the late penalty incident, he wrote that “it was one of those incidents where Reed probably didn’t even think he was making a challenge: he swung a leg to clear, Joao Pedro saw his chance, nipped in on his blindside, and accepted the contact. Bernd Leno, diving to his left, got his fingertips to the ball but couldn’t prevent the Brazilian from scoring for a third league game in a row.”

Dominic Hogan of The Mail on Sunday pointed out that “Brighton had never beaten Fulham in the Premier League before Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 win, words that seem to be a challenge more than anything to this wonderful, upwardly-mobile club in recent years. But if you are going to break a record, you may as well do it with a 97th-minute penalty.

“After an agonising delay Pedro, the coolest and calmest man in East Sussex, dashed Fulham’s hopes to send Brighton sixth. Cue pandemonium. Cue devastation. It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but for this young and vibrant Brighton side, it didn’t matter in the slightest. Ultimately the deciding touch fell to the one man Brighton fans would have wanted.”

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Jan Paul van Hecke and Joao Pedro grabbed the goals as Albion came from behind to beat Fulham. Gallery captured by Paul Hazlewood and James Boardman.

As Ed Aarons admitted in The Observer, “things were always going to be tight in this battle of two of the Premier League’s more upwardly mobile sides and so it proved until the fifth minute of added time. At that stage, it looked as though Jan Paul van Hecke’s header that cancelled out Raúl Jiménez’s excellent strike would give Brighton and Fulham a share of the points.

“The sun may have been shining on the south coast but the tempo of this game throughout reflected the fact there was no chance of either side being on the beach just yet. Both booked their places in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup last weekend and – even if they are now separated by four points – continue to harbour realistic ambitions of qualifying for Europe next season via the Premier League after this.

“The Fulham manager spent most of the first half on his feet as his side congested the midfield and managed to keep Brighton – who lacked cutting edge as Danny Welbeck watched on from the bench – at arm’s length.

“Brighton continued to toil in the second half against Fulham’s organised defence and when they did find a way through, Kaoru Mitoma’s goal was chalked off. It felt like it wasn’t going to be their day when Simon Adingra had the ball in the net only to be flagged offside.

"But the pivotal moment arrived when Reed attempted to clear the ball and tripped João Pedro inside the area to allow the Brazilian to stroke home his seventh Premier League goal of the season.”

On the BBC website, Bobbie Jackson wrote that, “since losing 7-0 at Nottingham Forest on 1 February, Brighton have been in stunning form - winning six in a row to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and emerge as serious contenders for a place in the Champions League.

“They have lost just twice in their past 15 games across all competitions, and have won four consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since 1981. Indeed, Brighton are thriving on and off the field after announcing some very healthy finances with a post-tax profit of £42.9m in the 2023-24 season in February.

Jan Paul van Hecke scored his first Premier League goal for Albion in the 2-1 win over Fulham. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“But it was an afternoon that flirted with ending in frustration for the Seagulls as they lacked their usual rhythm for large periods. Van Hecke's bullet header to draw them level was the only bright moment for the hosts in the first half, with the Netherlands centre-back afforded far too much space to latch on to Yasin Ayari's free-kick.

“Prior to the game, Brighton-based boxer Harlem Eubank was welcomed on to the pitch with his IBF intercontinental welterweight title, which he won in his home town on Friday.

“The Seagulls found some of Eubank's fighting spirit in the closing stages to force Fulham on the back foot and win a penalty. Pedro, a man in form, grabbed the ball immediately and finished confidently to land the knockout blow.”