Alex Iwobi scored twice as Fulham marched into the highest half of the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Brighton.

The Cottagers have been pegged again after Iwobi’s quickfire opener by Carlos Baleba’s high quality strike early within the second half.

However Matt O’Riley’s personal purpose gifted them the lead once more and Iwobi hit his second to make sure Brighton have nonetheless by no means crushed Fulham within the Premier League.

Simply three minutes had elapsed when Brighton handed Fulham the lead after enjoying the ball again to their goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, a couple of yards to the left of his purpose.

The Dutchman was underneath minimal stress, however his go out in direction of Baleba on the sting of the field was intercepted by Iwobi who strode ahead and tucked the ball into an empty internet earlier than Verbruggen might scramble again.

Brighton nearly hit again when Jan Paul van Hecke’s through-ball despatched Joao Pedro by on purpose, however his shot was crushed away by Bernd Leno.

Moments later Fulham defender Calvin Bassey offered a one-man wall as he blocked efforts from Baleba and Pedro in fast succession.

Leno stored out Brighton’s finest probability to equalise within the first half after Kaoru Mitoma despatched in a low cross from the byline.

O’Riley let the ball run to Simon Adingra, whose first-time shot from eight yards out was repelled by an instinctive arm from the Fulham keeper.

Fulham might have doubled their benefit in first-half stoppage however Rodrigo Muniz, beginning his first match since August, headed Antonee Robinson’s cross huge.

The hosts had one other alternative straight after the restart when Harry Wilson chased a excessive ball excessive solely to skew his volley astray.

Fulham appealed for a penalty when the ball struck the arm of Baleba within the space however play was waved on and the VAR agreed.

Brighton withstood the early stress and responded by successful a nook which Van Hecke headed narrowly over.

The equaliser got here moments later, and for all Brighton’s slick quick passing it got here from  Van Hecke’s simple ball excessive.

Pedro did brilliantly to cushion the ball into the trail of Baleba, with the Cameroon teen bludgeoning a low shot from the sting of the field previous Leno into the nook.

However Fulham went forward once more with 11 minutes remaining when substitute Andreas Pereira swung in a nook.

The ball skimmed off the pinnacle of Bassey and went in off the again of the unlucky O’Riley.

Then, with three minutes left, Iwobi spun away from two Brighton defenders earlier than curling previous Verbruggen into the far nook to safe the victory for the upwardly-mobile Cottagers.