LONDON (AP) — Aleksandar Mitrovic is enjoying his season in the Premier League this time.
The World Cup-bound Serbia striker scored his fifth goal of the campaign to set Fulham on its way to a 2-1 win over Brighton, whose unbeaten start came to end on Tuesday.
Mitrovic is proving to be a real menace to defenses with his power and finishing ability — a far cry from his time in the Premier League two seasons ago with Fulham when he only started a third of the games as the London club got relegated.
Now Mitrovic is Fulham’s focal point, the player the team is built to supply, and he was on the end of a driven cross from winger Neeskens Kebano from the left that the striker bundled into the net at the far post in the 48th minute.
An unfortunate own-goal by Lewis Dunk, who stuck out his leg to block a cross from Andreas Pereira and diverted the ball past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, put Fulham 2-0 ahead in the 55th.
Brighton reduced the deficit in the 60th through Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister’s 60th-minute penalty, awarded following a video review after a foul on Pervis Estupinan by Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
Fulham held on, though, for a second win of the season to move onto eight points from five games. That’s two points fewer than Brighton, which would have gone into first place — for 24 hours at least — with a win.
Mitrovic is one goal behind the top scorer in the league, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
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