Alex Iwobi scored with Fulham's only two shots on target, leading them to a 3-1 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday. Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen made a major blunder, gifting the hosts an early lead.

Iwobi got on the scoreboard in the fourth minute when Verbruggen tried to play the ball out but passed it straight to the Fulham forward, who tapped it into the far corner of the open net.

Brighton captain Lewis Dunk said the goal shouldn't have counted because he was fouled during the play.

"How the ref or VAR can't see it, it is what it is," Dunk said. "It's annoying. If you watch the replay, it's a clear foul, a push in my back."

Brighton looked like the more dangerous team, and Carlos Baleba got the equaliser in the 56th minute when Joao Pedro laid the ball off with a backheel. The midfielder then fired in a blistering low shot and celebrated with a backflip.

Fulham took the lead again in the 79th minute on a wet and windy night at Craven Cottage. Andreas Pereira struck a corner that hit the back of Brighton's Matt O'Riley and went into the net.

Iwobi got his second goal eight minutes later when he got on the end of a pass from Antonee Robinson and spun past a defender before shooting into the far corner.

"It was a big three points for us in a tough game," Fulham manager Marco Silva said. "We started in the best way possible with the early goal but Brighton made it really difficult for us in the first half.

"Second half we were much better. We conceded in a moment we should prepare better for the long ball. It was a good shot from the edge of the box. Difficult game but a big three points for us."

Fulham moved up to sixth in the league table, just one point behind fifth-placed Brighton. Their manager, Fabian Hurzeler, watched from the stands in frustration while serving a touchline ban.

His team missed out on a few good opportunities, including a shot from Pedro that Bernd Leno saved and Simon Adingra fired straight at the Fulham keeper from a perfect cross by Kaoru Mitoma.

"I don't think the scoreline reflects the game," Dunk said. "We picked ourselves up and I thought we were the better team, but that's football."