Fulham 3 Brighton 0: Rodrigo Muniz keeps up excellent run as Cottagers breeze past Seagulls to give Europe hopes a boost
FULHAM’S Tik Tok admin will have to work overtime making montages dedicated to Rodrigo Muniz.
The Brazilian striker made it five goals in his last five games, and added an assist, as he continues to fill the Aleksandar Mitrovic-shaped hole left at the club.
Muniz’s time in West London has not always been this easy, with him arriving from Flamengo in 2021 as a 20-year-old who didn’t speak a word of English.
Not many would have tipped him for this epic resurgence considering he made just two league starts in his first season before being turfed out on loan to Middlesbrough.
Now he is outshining the Chelsea loanee Armando Broja who can’t get a look in and the injured Raul Jimenez who will struggle to win his place back when he is fit.
His assist for Harry Wilson’s 21st minute opener before he was on target himself on 32 minutes and Adama Traore wrapped things up on 91 minutes helped Fulham to make it three wins in their last four Prem games.
Broja will even cost the club £4million if he doesn’t make ten starts for them, but that is the price they’ll pay for Muniz’s glittering run.
Sasa Lukic is another player giving Marco Silva food for thought as he stood in once again for the suspended Joao Palhinha and set the tone with a WWE style tackle early on.
Tariq Lamptey looked lively for the visitors, twisting and turning beyond Antonee Robinson, but no one could make the crucial touch to his cross.
Brighton fans were boisterous, five sleeps away from their trip to Italy, chanting “football’s coming Rome, it’s coming Rome, it’s coming!”
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But on 21 minutes they were silenced as Muniz battled past Adam Webster and teed up Wilson who unleashed a rocket into the top corner for the opener.
There were furious penalty shouts as Muniz looked as though he was mowed down by Webster but replays showed he tripped over his own feet and referee Simon Hooper was right to play on.
It lit the fire in Muniz’s belly though as he latched onto an inch-perfect Wilson cross and steered in a bullet header on 32 minutes.
Fulham emerged from the restart with even more swagger and Lukic teed up Harry Wilson who broke free on goal but poked his shot just wide.
Muniz and Wilson linked up again as the Brazilian wrestled the ball off Webster but Wilson couldn’t make the crucial touch.
Andreas Pereira tucked in this time after latching onto Alex Iwobi’s pass before darting goalwards but over ran it before he could get a proper shot off.
Brighton hit back with Evan Ferguson smack bang in front of goal, but he fired wide and was left with his head in his hands.
The Seagulls striker has now gone a whopping 17 games without a goal.
Fulham showed him how it was done as Bobby De Cordova-Reid mugged Pascal Gross of the ball before laying it on to Traore who bulldozed towards goal and slotted home in the dying moments.