Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 West Ham United
Premier League, American Express Stadium, Saturday 26 April 2025, 3pm BST
West Ham United came within minutes of a first Premier League win in seven games on Saturday, only to suffer a cruel defeat as Brighton & Hove Albion scored twice in the closing stages to secure a 3-2 victory at American Express Stadium.
Yasin Ayari’s first-half effort had Brighton ahead at half-time, but the Hammers stuck to their task and restored parity moments after the restart through Mohammed Kudus, who netted his first goal since facing these same opponents at London Stadium in December.
The visitors looked like they would depart East Sussex with a welcome win when Tomáš Souček headed in Jarrod Bowen’s cross at the far post with just seven minutes left to play.
But the hosts were level through substitute Kaoru Mitoma six minutes later before Carlos Baleba’s long-range finish in the second minute of added time left Graham Potter’s side reflecting on an outcome that was hardly reflective of their performance.
It was a fairly even opening to the match, with West Ham perhaps just about edging it, and that showed inside the opening minute when Kudus raced down the right, tore past Pervis Estupiñán and delivered a high, looping cross to Bowen, but he couldn't get enough on his header to guide it past Bart Verbruggen.
Brighton rallied briefly, as Estupiñán snaffled up a loose ball 30 yards from goal, moved into a shooting position and fired high and wide, before the visitors again threatened.
West Ham captain Bowen was unlucky to have a goal-bound effort blocked by Lewis Dunk, then another well-worked move saw the Hammers get the ball into a dangerous area. Aaron Wan-Bissaka sent a low cross into the box, finding Souček, who fired into the side-netting.
But despite that bright start, it was the Seagulls who would take the lead on 13 minutes as Ayari latched onto Jack Hinshelwood’s ball, shifted onto his right foot and unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top-right corner.
Despite the setback, the Irons showed resilience to continue pushing. Baleba blocked Wan-Bissaka’s shot, Lucas Paquetá blazed over left-footed, and then Kudus appeared to be bundled over in the box under a challenge from Baleba, only to see protests waved away by referee Darren England.
With the Hammers bossing possession but struggling to create anything clear-cut of note, Brighton sat in and played on the break. From one such attack with half-an-hour played, Matt O’Riley’s low drilled effort was comfortably dealt with by Alphonse Areola.
Two minutes later, Souček went even closer, only to be denied by an outstanding Verbruggen fingertip save onto the crossbar after he rose highest to meet Maximilian Kilman's pinpoint left-wing cross.
After Dinos Mavropanos blocked Danny Welbeck’s shot and Solly March curled just wide of the far post, our frustration almost grew further on 38 minutes, as Simon Adingra lashed home from 12 yards after Areola had made an outstanding double save to deny Estupiñán and Mats Wieffer, but the goal was disallowed for offside on Wieffer, which was confirmed by VAR Paul Tierney.
As half-time approached, Dunk’s well-timed sliding tackle prevented a cross coming in from Bowen before being able to eventually clear the danger, then our No20 and Kudus were once again thwarted by Albion’s captain to conclude a first half of frustration in East Sussex.
Graham Potter had to change something, so he did, as Niclas Füllkrug replaced James Ward-Prowse.
Brighton had started the brighter of the two sides as twice Adingra got into the penalty area, only for his crosses to elude Welbeck, but three minutes after the restart, West Ham drew level.
Wan-Bissaka played a first-time pass down the right wing to the onrushing Bowen who, in turn, delivered a low, inviting cross across goal for the unmarked Kudus to guide in through Verbruggen’s legs.
Brighton hit back, as Potter’s side were forced to sit back and defend. First, Wieffer forced Areola into a plunging one-handed save with a powerful downward header from March’s cross, then Adingra’s shot took a deflection and was scrambled to safety.
After a spell of Albion pressure, the Hammers were soon back on the attack.
Mavropanos glanced a header wide from Bowen’s in-swinging free-kick, then Wan-Bissaka’s vicious near-post effort was tipped wide for a corner by Verbruggen, and from the resulting set-piece, Emerson's delivery into the box was cleared as far as Kudus, whose goal-bound volley was blocked.
We were well on top now, and hunting the second. On 62 minutes, Wan-Bissaka was involved again, latching onto Bowen’s cutback, but fired his first-time effort into the away end.
Having been unable to capitalise, momentum shifted, and Brighton seized control. Within minutes, Estupiñán fired into the side-netting and then saw a 25-yard strike saved by Areola, and Mavropanos made a number of vital clearances in between.
The nature of a fixture made the remainder of the match an end-to-end exchange, with both teams taking it in turns to attack, and we grabbed back the initiative on 83 minutes, when Bowen collected the ball on the right and whipped the ball into the box from the right, and Souček stooped low to head home.
But Brighton were far from finished.
With a minute of normal time remaining, Brajan Gruda was picked out by Diego Gómez on the right, and he headed the ball back into the danger area, where Mitoma was unmarked to nod it past Areola from point-blank range.
And just as the visitors looked like they would escape with a draw, less than three minutes later, the Seagulls found the winner. Gruda's pass found Baleba 30 yards from goal, and with West Ham slow to close him down, he fired a stunning strike past Areola into the bottom-left corner of the net, extending our winless run to seven matches in the competition.
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Dunk ©, Baleba, Estupiñán, Ayari, Hinshelwood (Gómez 82), March (Minteh 62), O’Riley (Gruda 82), Adingra (Mitoma 63), Welbeck
Subs not used: Steele (GK), Lamptey, Cashin, Veltman, Tasker
Goals: Ayari 13, Mitoma 89, Baleba 90+2
Booked: Hinshelwood
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson (Coufal 86), Ward-Prowse (Füllkrug 46), Souček, Paquetá, Kudus, Bowen ©
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Soler, Rodríguez, Irving, Luis Guilherme, Ings
Goals: Kudus 48, Souček 83
Booked: Mavropanos
Referee: Darren England
Attendance: 31,499
