Fulham 2-1 Brighton: Aleksandar Mitrovic on target as Seagulls’ unbeaten start ends

Marco Silva hailed an “unbelievable performance” from Aleksandar Mitrovic after his fifth goal of the season helped Fulham end Brighton’s unbeaten start to the campaign with a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage.

Mitrovic ghosted in at the back post to break the deadlock three minutes into the second half with his 100th league goal for Fulham, and a second swiftly followed for Marco Silva’s side when Lewis Dunk put through his own net (55).

Brighton, who could have gone top of the Premier League for the first time with a victory, pulled one back against the run of play on the hour through Alexis Mac Allister’s well-taken penalty after VAR penalised Bobby De Cordova-Reid for a foul on Pervis Estupinan.

But, despite a late, substitute-inspired rally, Brighton’s comeback failed to materialise as Fulham saw out a deserved victory which lifted them into the top six on eight points, two behind Brighton, who remain in fourth.

Brighton started the night knowing a victory would take them top of the English top flight for the first time but were prevented from scaling those heights by the side who finished top of last season’s Championship.

Fulham’s fluid attack, spearheaded by impressive performances from Mitrovic, Neeskens Kebano and Andreas Pereira, didn’t give Brighton a moment’s rest, and the hosts nearly made a deserved eighth-minute breakthrough when Joao Palhinha’s flick from a corner forced Robert Sanchez into action.

Brighton boss Graham Potter was forced to switch to a back three in a bid to wrestle back the initiative from Fulham, but the hosts remained a threat, with Mitrovic capitalising on poor defending from Adam Webster and Joel Veltman before scuffing a shot into the gloves of Sanchez.