Fulham head coach Marco Silva has lavished praise on Nigerian international Samuel Chukwueze after playing an instrumental role in the side 2-1 comeback win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Fresh from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with Nigeria, Chukwueze was introduced from the bench and wasted no time in making his presence felt.
With Fulham chasing the game and the clock ticking down, the Super Eagles winger injected urgency, pace, and belief into the home side’s attack. His impact was quickly rewarded as he found the equaliser with just 18 minutes remaining, a goal that completely swung the momentum in Fulham’s favour.
The strike itself was a moment of pure quality and composure. Defender Joachim Andersen spotted Chukwueze’s intelligent movement and delivered a perfectly weighted long pass from deep. Chukwueze controlled the ball effortlessly, showed great calm under pressure, and finished clinically to beat the Brighton goalkeeper, sending the Craven Cottage crowd into celebration.
That goal proved to be the spark Fulham needed. Energised by the equaliser, the hosts pushed forward in search of a winner, and their persistence paid off in dramatic fashion deep into stoppage time. In the 90th minute, Harry Wilson struck to complete the turnaround, sealing all three points in memorable style for Silva’s men.
After the match, Marco Silva was full of admiration for Chukwueze’s contribution, placing particular emphasis on the tactical intelligence behind the goal and the growing understanding between the winger and Andersen. The Fulham boss stressed how crucial such movements are against opponents who press aggressively.
“The reality is that we scored a great goal for us – simple, but great. The pass from Joachim, the opposite run from Chukwu, and they know we need it against teams that come to press so high.”
“We need runs in behind, we need players to chase them in behind. A great moment from both, from Andersen and from Chukwu to equilibrate the game,” the manager added.
Chukwueze’s performance not only underlined his quality but also highlighted Fulham’s depth and tactical flexibility, as Silva continues to reap the rewards of timely substitutions and well-drilled attacking patterns.
