Liverpool are contemplating whether to make a move for Brighton's Netherlands defender Jan Paul van Hecke, 24. (GiveMeSport), external
Brighton's Sweden midfielder Yasin Ayari, 21, is attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column, external
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts on Brighton's Premier League game against Fulham.
Here are some of your comments:
Brighton fans
Tim: Fantastic three points. Managed to find a way without playing our best. First win against Fulham in Premier League at such an important time. If we can keep winning against the teams around us who knows how high in the league we can finish. Come on Albion!
Oscar: What a game! Brighton were better than Fulham by a country mile. Definitely a pen. Joao Pedro slotted it home and gave us the win. Brighton marching on to Europe again.
Mike: Great to see us being so dogged to secure the win. That penalty was earned through sheer effort and determination not to accept a draw. Fulham are a good side and these are the games we used to lose and draw, so we are showing a side of us that we've struggled to find before.
Adrian: Brighton have a habit of playing well and not winning - switched now to winning without playing well! It's a great habit. I still don't know what our best team is, but that's not a bad thing either.
Fulham fans
Will: Absolutely heart breaking stuff. Harrison Reed has been with us for so long so it's devastating that he made the error. It's a big mountain for us to get Europe now but they are there to be climbed.
Graham: Why do refs not stick to the extra time as indicated at the end of 90 minutes? Brighton penalty was awarded at 96 minutes. Only five minutes extra time were indicated. Football should having timing the same as rugby union. At least it's fare and exact.
Ash: It's a terrible 'trait' passing the ball back towards your own goal when you have possession in the opposition half, happened too often against Brighton. Scott Parker team tactics were based around that. You can't hurt the opponents doing that. A wasted opportunity.
Bri: Sadly this result is summing up our season; one minute hope, next minute despair! Again the boys seemed sloppy, allowing Brighton too much space and depending almost on counter attacking. Mid-table security is OK, let's take that for now.
John: Terrible defending, a free header and a stupid tackle for the penalty. We will only ever be an average middle to bottom Premier League team if we play like that.
Image source, Getty ImagesJan Paul van Hecke spoke to BBC Radio Sussex after scoring his first goal for Brighton against Fulham:
"I have a pain in my neck! [from scoring the goal]. I'm really happy that I could score my first goal and hopefully more to come."
On the reasons behind the recent upturn in form: "Everyone works really hard and you can see every game the effort we put in. With a combination of good players and a good plan, you can come really far and be hard to beat.
"We need to make sure we work really hard, put the effort in and we can beat anybody."
Highlights and analysis from Saturday's six Premier League fixtures.
If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.
Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Bobbie Jackson
BBC Sport Journalist
Image source, ReutersBrighton's hopes of securing an unlikely Champions League berth gathered further moment courtesy of a stoppage-time penalty from Joao Pedro.
The Seagulls' encounter with Fulham looked like it was meandering to a frustrating draw and had been largely uneventful until Pedro was brought down by Harrison Reed.
Raul Jimenez had put Fulham in front but that lead last a mere six minutes until Jan Paul van Hecke equalised.
Neither side could really find their rhythm throughout but Brighton did look the most likely to grab the winner after having two goals ruled out due to offside in the second half.
Pedro showed no sign of nerves as he stood atop of the ball from 12 yards out and he dispatched coolly into the corner to land Brighton's first-ever Premier League win over Fulham.
Brighton have won six successive games across all competitions and are on a four-match win streak in the top-flight for the first time since 1981.
Victory moves them up to sixth and just one point behind Manchester City who are fourth and in the final guaranteed Champions League spot.
Brighton travel to Man City for their next outing on Saturday at 15:00 GMT.
Image source, Getty ImagesFabian Hurzeler spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Brighton's victory against Fulham: "I haven't seen it [the penalty] yet so I will have a look and then I can say something to that. We deserved it. We were the only team on the pitch who really wanted to have this win. We created some, dominated the game, and defended well. It was not the best performance from us but I think it was a deserved win.
"We weren't at our highest level regarding our freshness but you have to play clever and mature in these moments. You have to defend in a mature way but we conceded an easy goal. We got some more intensity in the second half. I liked the attitude and the character from us.
On Carlos Baleba: "It's about for him to always stay alive the whole game and to find his moments. It's not about deciding the game. in his position in the six, it's about closing the gaps. You can do it with good movement.
"The most important is that we are so full of togetherness. The none starters who came on. These made the difference and that's the key for us.
"We want to win and have the feeling that we want to go for the winner but it's important not to force it. In the end, we landed in a dangerous situation for Fulham and then we got the penalty.
On the Champions League: "It's not in the discussion. We have to focus on the next game."
Image source, Getty ImagesSince the start of last season, Joao Pedro has won more penalties than any other Premier League player in all competitions (9). Meanwhile, only Mohamed Salah (18) has scored more penalties than the Brazilian (13) during this period.
Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?
Have your say on Brighton's performance
What did you make of Fulham's display?
Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies
Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.
Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (12:30)
Liverpool v Southampton - full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live
Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town
Brighton v Fulham
Brentford v Aston Villa (17:30) full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live
Wolves v Everton (20:00)
All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated
Both of these teams are doing well and whoever wins it will feel like they are right in the mix for a top-five finish.
Brighton are on their best run of the season and have won five games in a row since their 7-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest, while Fulham have won four of their past five away league games.
You could make a case for both teams, but that does not really help me to make a prediction, does it?
Fulham won the reverse fixture 3-1, in December, but the Seagulls were having a bit of a wobble at that point and clearly their form is very different now.
I feel like anything could happen here so there is no science behind this prediction, but I am going to go with my instincts.
My gut feeling is that we will get a winner... and I am picking Brighton to take the points.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
Josh Lobley
BBC Sport journalist
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham at Amex Stadium (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Hurzeler confirmed Karou Mitoma is available for selection after he was substituted against Newcastle: "He just had cramp - he will be an option. For the rest of the team, the options will be the same."
He added: "Matt O'Riley is over his illness but we have to take care of his knee issue. We have to see if he can train. Lewis Dunk is closer, but still not an option."
He says that everyone at the club is happy about Joel Veltman's contract extension: "He has proved he is a great player and has helped us in very difficult situations. He knows how to win games in the Premier League and he is a great character."
On Saturday's opponents: "Fulham are very compact and have a clear style of play in possession. They have players who are mature in every position and who know how to stay calm in all situations. We are really looking forward to competing with them."
Hurzeler says he has multiple options to replace the suspended Tariq Lamptey: "We played with Mats Weiffer last time and played with Jack Hinshelwood a few weeks ago. It will be a different style of play but I'm sure they will do it in a good way."
On Yankuba Minteh's Premier League player of the month nomination: "It's well deserved, but it is important to understand that these small achievements only come from the team success. I'm happy with his development and he has improved out of possession. We still see a lot of improvement and a lot of potential."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Image source, Getty ImagesBrighton have won none of their nine Premier League games against Fulham but have instead drawn four and lost five.
It makes Fulham the opponent they have faced the most without winning and conversely Brighton are the opponent Fulham have faced the most without losing.
However, Brighton have won each of their past three Premier League games – only once have they ever won four consecutive top-flight matches, doing so in April/May 1981.
Fulham have scored in each of their past 12 Premier League away games, netting exactly twice in each of their past six. It is their longest run of scoring multiple goals on the road in top-flight history, and have only once had a longer overall scoring streak (14 between September 1959 and April 1960).
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Former Brighton forward Glenn Murray (left), with Joel Veltman, Ferdi Kadioglu and Bart Verbruggen
On Wednesday, Brighton held a virtual fans' question-and-answer session, set against a digital backdrop of the Amex Stadium, complete with seagulls.
Joel Veltman, Ferdi Kadioglu and Bart Verbruggen spoke to former striker Glenn Murray about their careers and the season so far.
When asked for his two favourite games - one for Brighton, one across his whole career - Veltman picked Ajax's Champions League quarter-final away win against Juventus in 2019 and Brighton's 4-0 win against Manchester United, where he came up against Cristiano Ronaldo in both.
I asked about the mentality that was required to bounce back from the 7-0 hammering at Nottingham Forest on 1 February - which they all said was the heaviest of their career - to record five straight wins, Brighton's best run since April 2017 when they were promoted from the Championship.
"Sometimes you need a big defeat to wake you up," said Veltman.
"When you lose a game like that, the feeling in the dressing room is something you do not want to feel again. It makes you fight even more."
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Former Brighton forward Glenn Murray (left), with Joel Veltman, Ferdi Kadioglu and Bart Verbruggen
I have to admit, I was not expecting a news line to come out of a Brighton fans' virtual question-and-answer session this afternoon.
Former striker Glenn Murray was asking the questions against digitally created backdrops of both Amex Stadium and the home dressing room.
Veltman, 33, was asked if he thought he would spend the rest of his career at Brighton.
"My contract was expiring in the summer but I have extended it by another year," he said. "Beyond that, I will leave my options open.
"I have been here for five years and still love it but you never know in football."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Brighton striker Warren Aspinall has criticised Yankuba Minteh's attitude in their FA Cup victory at Newcastle on Sunday.
Speaking on the Albion Unlimited podcast, he said: "It's all about attitude of the players now [for the rest of the season]. Look at Tariq Lamptey - he has waited and waited and he has been playing out of his skin in the past three games.
"I didn't like the way that [Yankuba] Minteh came off, when he was shaking his head. Just get yourself off, hug your team-mate and sit down.
"If you have got any problems, go and knock on the manager's door on Monday morning. Don't show disrespect to the manager because he has made those decisions. The substitutions who came on won us the game.
"If I was the manager, I would be having a word with him and asking what his problem was."
BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor added: "You could say that his challenge gave away the penalty and I thought that if his shot hadn't been deflected, he probably wouldn't have scored. To be shaking your head in front of the manager, it's frustration there.
"It should be the norm [to support your team-mates coming on as a substitute]."
Image source, Getty ImagesBrighton and Hove Albion deputy chairman Paul Barber says "everyone can be proud" of Brighton's financial accounts for the 2023-24 season.
Speaking on BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, Barber said: "It is the highest turnover in the club's history, the third consecutive year of profit and the fourth year of profit in eight seasons in the Premier League.
"We have been advised by Kieran Maguire [a football finance expert] that these results make us the fourth most profitable club in the Premier League history. That is a 'wow'.
"We have been able to deliver these results while maintaining a degree of consistency on the pitch. We have been able to replace the players that have been sold - those players have been able to adapt very quickly to life in the Premier League.
"These results are the culmination of the hard work of people all across the club on and off the pitch - every department plays a part. The staff and the fans can be really proud.
"We cannot afford to stand still and pat ourselves on the back. It is nice to receive compliments, but at the same time there is a lot more work we have to do to maintain this position we have created."
The latest episode of Albion Unlimited from BBC Radio Sussex is available now on BBC Sounds.
Brighton deputy chairman Paul Barber reflects on the club's latest financial figures, while Fulham fan and German football expert Archie Rhind-Tutt discusses Brighton's incoming striker Stefanos Tzimas and Saturday's visit of the London side.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Scott McCarthy
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesWhen Lewis Dunk was forced off at half-time of Brighton's 2-1 FA Cup win over Chelsea, Brighton looked in a spot of defensive bother with the only centre-back on the bench being Adam Webster.
There were a couple of reasons to potentially panic over Webster coming on. The first was he had played only 159 minutes of competitive football in four months since getting injured in October.
Hardly great preparation for any player facing being thrown in at the deep end against Cole Palmer and co, let alone one such as Webster who, throughout his six seasons at Amex Stadium has always needed four or five matches to shake off the rust after a lay-off.
The second reason to panic was what happened the previous time he faced Chelsea. Webster was all over the shop as Palmer plundered four goals in 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge back in September.
It looked like Father Time was catching up with him. The Premier League was at too high a quality. Obituaries were written.
All of these now need to be cancelled.
Since Webster took over from Dunk, Brighton have won five games out of five, conceding only twice. One was an absolute rocket from Justin Kluivert against Bournemouth. The other was a penalty in the FA Cup at Newcastle on Sunday.
Webster has seamlessly replaced Dunk as both centre-back and captain. Albion look more solid than at any point under Fabian Hurzeler with Webster in the team.
Dunk has been injured twice already this season and was almost instantly restored to the starting XI upon his return. That surely cannot happen this time.
Webster is in arguably the best form of his Brighton career. He is clearly enjoying every moment with that enthusiasm rubbing off on those around him.
And it is absolutely magnificent to watch.
Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external
