Brighton and Fulham Share Points in Premier League Opener

Rodrigo Muniz scored a 96th-minute equaliser for Fulham, denying Brighton a win in their opening match.

Matt O'Riley converted a penalty in the 55th minute to give Brighton the lead.

Fulham's Josh King had a penalty appeal waved away in the first half after a VAR check.

Brighton's Yankuba Minteh impressed in attack, having five touches in the opposition box.

Muniz has now scored more goals as a substitute than any other Premier League player since the start of last season.

Brighton took the lead in the 55th minute through a penalty from Matt O'Riley after Georginio Rutter was fouled.

Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz equalised in the 96th minute with a close-range finish after a corner.

Josh King's penalty appeal in the first half was dismissed after a VAR review.

James Milner made his 17th first-matchday appearance, with only Frank Lampard making more in the Premier League (18).

Matt O'Riley (Brighton): Scored the opening goal from the penalty spot and was named player of the match with an average rating of 7.80.

Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham): Scored the late equaliser, earning a 6.56 rating.

Yankuba Minteh (Brighton): Showed promise in attack, causing problems for the Fulham defence.

Both teams played in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Brighton had 49.8% possession, while Fulham had 50.2%.

Brighton had more shots (10) than Fulham (7), but both teams had a similar number of shots on target (4 for Brighton, 2 for Fulham).

Following the draw, Brighton and Fulham sit in 5th and 6th place respectively, each with 1 point.

Rodrigo Muniz's late goal underscores the importance of squad depth and impact substitutes.

Brighton's inability to convert chances into goals highlights the need for a clinical finisher.

VAR decisions can significantly influence match outcomes, as seen with Fulham's penalty appeal.

Both teams will look to build on this result in their upcoming fixtures.