Marco Silva was purring with delight after his Fulham side followed up their sensational win at Manchester United by beating Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 at Craven Cottage.
A superb strike from Harry Wilson put the Whites on the way to all three points before the Welshman set up Rodrigo Muniz’s fifth goal in five games and substitute Adama Traore scored his first Fulham goal in front of the Hammersmith End in stoppage time.
Silva told his post-match press conference:
“We have to be pleased. I’m pleased for all the players, for the fans as well. I’m really happy because we deserved the three points, to win at home with a clean sheet is really important for us, is a great feeling. And to have back-to-back wins in the Premier League is really tough – when you play away from home at Old Trafford, and then have Brighton at home as well. We wanted to get back to winnings ways at home after the Villa match, it was really important for us.
We knew that it was going to be a difficult match – Brighton has the capacity to have long moments of possession, even if they are not around your box. Lots of passes between central defenders, they use the goalkeeper well. Both goalkeepers are like another player because they are really good with their feet. The game was going to demand from us the right moments to press, the right moments to jump in that pressure, and to be really well organised. First half, in that aspect, was almost perfect, I have to say. They didn’t create one chance all the first half.
We were clinical with the two goals that we scored. The first one after a very good moment from Rodrigo with the way he won the ball, and amazing finish from Harry. The second goal is almost a perfect team goal – the way we built from the goalkeeper until the last moment with the ball passing between our three midfielders, was almost a perfect goal that myself as a manager, the players, have to be proud of. It was something that we prepared, and when you see that happening on the pitch it’s a great feeling.
The second half was a little bit different. We started well, we had two or three moments to score the third goal and completely kill the game. We didn’t, and of course they pushed some players a little bit more back, our pressure was not so effective. They had some moments but throughout the game we were always looking for their goal, every time we won the ball we were really dangerous as well. In the end, we scored the third with Adama to have back-to-back wins and the clean sheet, which was really important for us.”
