For 95 minutes Brighton looked to have managed the margins of an opening day defined by rust, rhythm and the occasional surge, Matt O’Riley’s second-half penalty the difference. Then Rodrigo Muniz arrived at the back post in the 96th minute, chesting down Harry Wilson’s corner and smashing low into the far corner to steal a 1–1 draw for Fulham.

Before the drama, there had been a clear outline. Brighton controlled long stretches of field position through Carlos Baleba’s authority and Yankuba Minteh’s direct running, while 18-year-old Josh King gave Fulham thrust on the break. The Seagulls forged the better chances after the interval, but a lack of ruthlessness kept the door ajar — and Muniz, the league’s most reliable late finisher over the past year, barged through it.

An opening half of rush and half-chances, with early flashpoints at both ends

Brighton thought they had the perfect start when Minteh tapped in after Baleba’s burst down the right, only for the assistant to judge the ball had crossed the byline in the build-up. Soon after, Matt O’Riley’s whipped cross found Kaoru Mitoma ghosting free, but the header skimmed over when composure was needed.

Fulham’s spark came from King. The teenager twice broke the first press and, amid a breathless spell, went down under Bart Verbruggen’s challenge in the area; the referee waved play on and VAR agreed. It framed a first period high on intensity and low on polish.

Midfield control versus vertical thrust — Baleba and Minteh drive one way, King carries the other

Within a bruising central duel, Baleba’s range stood out. One minute he was sweeping in front of his centre-backs; the next he was threading passes into Georginio Rutter and O’Riley between the lines. With Minteh stretching the pitch, Brighton repeatedly reached the final third.

Fulham, meanwhile, found their best moments when King carried ground and drew bodies, offering Raúl Jiménez a reference point and freeing Harry Wilson on late arrivals. The visitors’ structure held, even if their attacks lacked a finishing touch.

The penalty that seemed to settle it — O’Riley’s calm after Berge trips Rutter

The breakthrough arrived on 55 minutes, Rutter wriggling inside and drawing a clip from Sander Berge. O’Riley sent Bernd Leno the wrong way with a low, left-corner finish that matched Brighton’s growing control since the restart.

For Fulham, it also marked an unwanted milestone — their 1,000th goal conceded in the Premier League. Marco Silva raged at the decision and the sequence that led to it, then began to prime his bench.

Brighton’s chances to add a cushion come and go

Ahead at last, Brighton had openings to finish the job. Mitoma blazed a breakaway lay-off over, Lewis Dunk glanced into the side-netting, and Yasin Ayari dragged narrowly wide as the Seagulls pressed for daylight.

From the bench, Diego Gómez stepped in to hammer a long-range effort that Leno nearly spilled over the line, while Brajan Gruda raced clear late but hesitated between shot and square. The missing ingredient was execution, not invention.

Silva rolls the dice, and the super-sub does what he does best

Silva’s triple change added Tom Cairney’s control, Adama Traoré’s directness and Muniz’s penalty-area gravity. Emile Smith Rowe replaced the excellent King and forced a save that yielded late corners as Fulham finally built pressure.

Kenny Tete volleyed a 95th-minute chance wide — the warning. Seconds later, Wilson’s delivery slipped through to Muniz at the back post; he chested, settled and rifled across Verbruggen. A single clean look was all he needed.

Balanced verdict and what comes next

Brighton will rue the missed clinchers but can bank the patterns: Baleba’s control, Minteh’s incision and O’Riley’s composure point to a coherent blueprint. Add precision in the final action and these situations become wins.

Fulham leave with resilience validated and selection questions sharpened. King’s debut was a bright thread, Leno managed the storm, and Muniz again made the difference late. With Manchester United next, the need for attacking depth remains, but belief gets a timely bump.