Chaos, penalties, and missed chances as West Ham and Brighton share the points
So, let me talk you through what turned out to be one of the most chaotic and entertaining games of the Premier League round, as West Ham and Brighton played out a 2–2 draw at the London Stadium. On the surface, it looks like a simple scoreline, but once you dig into how it unfolded, this match had almost everything — goals, drama, controversy, and a feeling that both teams walked away thinking they should have had more.
West Ham actually made the perfect start, even though Brighton were on top early in terms of possession and pressure. Against the run of play, Jarrod Bowen broke free in the 10th minute, latching on to a perfectly weighted through ball from Lucas Paquetá. The finish was calm and confident, and suddenly the Hammers were ahead. That goal lifted the stadium and gave the sense that this might finally be the night their long winless run would end.
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But the game soon descended into chaos, especially in the first half. Brighton were handed a penalty after Yankuba Minteh was brought down in the box, and Danny Welbeck made no mistake from the spot to level things up. Then came a moment that summed up the madness of the night. Just minutes later, Brighton were awarded another penalty, only for Welbeck to smash it against the crossbar. It felt like a huge let-off for West Ham, and somehow, there was still more drama to come before the break.
After a VAR review deep into stoppage time, West Ham were given a penalty of their own when Lewis Dunk was judged to have handled the ball in the area. Paquetá stepped up and converted, becoming only the second player in Premier League history to both score and concede a penalty in the same first half. By half-time, West Ham were back in front at 2–1, but there was no sense that the game was under control.
Brighton refused to go away, and early in the second half they pushed hard for another equaliser. It eventually arrived in the 61st minute, when Joel Veltman reacted quickest after Alphonse Areola could only palm a corner into danger. Once again, West Ham had been pegged back, and the frustration was obvious.
Both sides had chances to win it late on. Bowen went close with a header that was kept out by Bart Verbruggen, while at the other end Areola made important saves to deny Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter. In the end, the final whistle brought a draw that probably felt fair, but also deeply unsatisfying.
For West Ham, it meant another missed opportunity in a relegation battle that is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. For Brighton, the winless run dragged on, even if there were positives in their response and attacking intent. When all was said and done, this was a match defined by momentum swings, costly mistakes, and the feeling that neither team could quite finish the job.
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