Brighton 1-1 West Ham: Report, result and goals as Rutter rescues late point

Brighton left it late to salvage a point as Georginio Rutter’s stoppage-time strike earned a 1-1 draw against West Ham at the Amex Stadium.

Jarrod Bowen had earlier put the visitors ahead during a second half in which they carried most of the threat, but Brighton’s persistence eventually paid off after a largely flat performance in front of goal.

The opening stages were slow, with both sides struggling to gain any rhythm on a wet afternoon in Sussex.

Rutter’s early volley drifted well wide before West Ham began to grow into the game through quick breaks led by Bowen and Crysencio Summerville.

Brighton enjoyed long spells of possession but lacked penetration. A mix-up at the back almost gifted West Ham the opener as Summerville drove into the area on 40 minutes, only to bend his finish wide.

Moments later, Bart Verbruggen was tested by a long-range strike from Lucas Paqueta, pushing the shot away from the bottom corner.

Brighton created their best chance of the half shortly before the interval when Maxim De Cuyper delivered a dangerous cross that Joey Veffer failed to meet at the back post.

Second half

West Ham emerged stronger after the restart. Bowen forced Verbruggen into a sharp save from distance, before the goalkeeper reacted quickly to deny Summerville’s close-range volley in a remarkable double stop.

Brighton struggled to build any momentum and continued to labour in the final third, failing to register a shot on target until the 90th minute.

The visitors made a triple substitution on 82 minutes, shortly after Summerville had gone close again on the counter.

Callum Wilson was introduced and made an immediate impact. Just a minute after his arrival he drove forward and set up Bowen, who squeezed a low shot past Verbruggen from a tight angle following a misjudged header from Jan Paul van Hecke.

Brighton pushed forward as the match entered its final stages and came close when a deflected cross struck the post straight from kick-off after Bowen’s goal.

Substitute Charalampos Kostoulas then forced Alphonse Areola into a strong save from distance as the hosts increased the pressure.

The breakthrough arrived in the first minute of stoppage time. A scramble in the area saw Areola deny Rutter with an impressive stop, but van Hecke reacted quickly to keep the move alive.

The ball fell back to Rutter, who swept his finish into the net. A brief VAR check for handball confirmed the goal, setting up a frantic final few minutes.

Brighton continued to press, with Danny Welbeck sending a late header straight at Areola before Lewis Dunk made a crucial block to prevent Bowen from restoring West Ham’s lead.

The visitors also saw a late attempt from Rutter blocked inside the area as both sides pushed for a winner.

The draw keeps West Ham in the bottom three of the table, but also dents Brighton’s European push.