Fulham manager Marco Silva has praised Samuel Chukwueze after the Nigerian winger came off the bench to inspire the club’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Brighton at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Chukwueze made an immediate impact after his introduction, latching onto a precise pass from Joachim Andersen to score the equaliser 18 minutes from time and shift the momentum in Fulham’s favour.
Harry Wilson later sealed the win in stoppage time with a sublime free kick, sparking celebrations among the home supporters.
Speaking after the match, Silva lauded Chukwueze’s intelligence and directness, highlighting the importance of his movement against high-pressing opponents.
“The reality is that we scored a great goal for us – simple, but great,” Silva said.
“The pass from Joachim, the opposite run from Chukwu, and they know we need it against teams that come to press so high.
“We need runs in behind, we need players to chase them in behind.
“A great moment from both, from Andersen and from Chukwu to equalise the game.”
Chukwueze, who is on loan at Fulham from Serie A giants AC Milan, has enjoyed an impressive spell with the Cottagers. The 25-year-old has now registered three goals and four assists in 10 Premier League appearances, continuing to prove his value as a game-changing option for Silva’s side.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
