Brighton forward Georginio Rutter salvaged a late point for his side as West Ham United were held to a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, leaving the Hammers stuck in the Premier League relegation zone.
Jarrod Bowen had put West Ham ahead in the 73rd minute, seemingly securing a crucial win that would have lifted Nuno Espirito Santo’s men out of the bottom three. However, Rutter struck in stoppage time to deny West Ham victory, leaving them 18th on the table, two points adrift of fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest.
West Ham, who have lost just one of their last six league matches under Nuno since Graham Potter’s dismissal in September, showed resilience, holding Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The match was played in difficult, rain-lashed conditions on the south coast, with both teams struggling to cope. West Ham recalled Lucas Paqueta from suspension following a red card against Liverpool. Paqueta, cleared of a 2024 spot-fixing investigation, went close to scoring, but Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made a brilliant double save to keep the hosts level.
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Brighton’s equaliser came in a frantic penalty-area scramble. West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola initially blocked Rutter’s effort, but the forward pounced on the rebound to slot the ball into the net.
The draw maintained Brighton’s push for European qualification, keeping the Seagulls in seventh place despite blowing a two-goal lead in a 4-3 loss to Aston Villa midweek that ended their 10-match home unbeaten run.
In other Premier League action on Sunday, FA Cup holders Crystal Palace have a chance to climb to fourth place if they defeat Fulham later in the day.