Brighton & Hove Albion were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Fulham in the Premier League curtain-raiser at the Amex Stadium, Rodrigo Muniz striking in stoppage time to level for the visitors.
Brighton had to wait until after the break for their breakthrough, with Matt O’Riley converting from the penalty spot after halftime to put Fabian Hürzeler’s side in front. O’Riley had already hinted at goals last season, having netted from the spot in Brighton’s 4-1 win at Tottenham on the final day, and he doubled down by firing low into the bottom-left corner this time.
Fulham had the better of the ball for long spells after going behind, but rarely tested Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The visitors’ late chances were subdued until the late twist. Brighton handed a competitive debut to Maxim De Cuyper at left-back, while Josh King—making only his second top-flight start for Fulham and still early in a quiet transfer window—was involved in several lively moments and had penalty appeals when he went down in the box under pressure from Jan Paul van Hecke, which were waved away.
There was controversy early on when Yankuba Minteh’s finish was disallowed after the ball appeared to have gone behind before Carlos Baleba’s cross, and King also drew a strong claim for a foul on the edge of the box during a separate Fulham attack. King’s and Fulham’s appeals continued as King himself was involved in a robust challenge that drew a reaction from Fulham boss Marco Silva.
Brighton continued to threaten on the break, with Mitoma and Rutter testing the visitors’ resolve in the first half and again after the restart. Mitoma headed O’Riley’s cross onto the roof of the net as Brighton looked to extend their advantage. Rutter’s low shot was saved by Bernd Leno before Mitoma’s forthcoming header, and substitute Diego Gómez almost deceived Leno with a long-range effort as the clock ticked down.
Brighton thought they had sealed it when Wilson’s right-wing corner flicked off the head of Lewis Dunk and landed for Muniz at the far post, the Fulham striker steering home to claim a point for the visitors in front of a travelling support.
In the final stages, Gruda for Brighton and further pressure from the Seagulls kept the match engaging, but a late chance for Brajan Gruda went astray as the game finished 1-1.
What this means: Brighton and Fulham both take a point from a tense opener. Brighton will look to translate possession into more decisive chances, while Fulham will hope Muniz’s late strike kickstarts their campaign with momentum from a strong finish away from home.
Summary: A dramatic opener ends all square as Muniz’s stoppage-time goal rescues a point for Fulham after O’Riley’s second-half penalty gave Brighton the lead. The result leaves both teams with work to do ahead of their next fixtures.
Positive note: It was a point gained rather than two dropped for Fulham, and Muniz’s late contribution highlights the visitors’ resilience and threat on the break. Brighton will take heart from their control of large portions of the match and the goal-scoring form shown by O’Riley, but they will want to sharpen their late-game defending and finish.