Brighton denied West Ham a vital win after Georginio Rutter struck deep into stoppage time, cancelling out Jarrod Bowen’s brilliant second-half goal and leaving the Hammers stuck in the Premier League relegation zone.
Rutter’s equaliser came in the 91st minute, poking the ball home from close range after a scramble in the box.
A brief VAR check followed to assess a possible handball, but officials confirmed the goal would stand, ruling that any contact with Rutter’s arm was accidental and not directly before the finish.
West Ham almost stole the points in the dying seconds when Konstantinos Mavropanos rose highest from a corner, but his header drifted agonisingly wide with the final act of the match.
Bowen had earlier put West Ham ahead in the 73rd minute, pouncing on a pass from Callum Wilson and somehow squeezing a shot in from a tight angle.
The goal came after a slow, cagey first half in which Bowen had already forced Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen into an excellent save, followed by another stop from Summerville’s rebound.
Brighton reacted strongly after falling behind. A looping cross that clipped Max Kilman nearly dropped into the net, only for Alphonse Areola to tip it onto the post.
Charalampos Kostoulas also broke free at the near post but couldn’t guide Rutter’s delivery on target.
With Chelsea dropping points the previous day, Brighton had a prime opportunity to edge closer to the top four.
But after their wild 4–3 defeat to Aston Villa earlier in the week, they once again lacked spark in the final third, failing to register a shot on target until well into the second half.
Bowen’s opener finally jolted them into life, but despite their late surge, they could not find a winner.
Although the late goal will sting, West Ham continue to show resilience under Nuno Espírito Santo.
Two wins and three draws in their last six matches have helped them claw their way back toward safety, and they now sit only two points behind Nottingham Forest in 17th place.
Trips to Manchester United and Brighton were always going to be stern tests, and two points from those matches give the Hammers encouragement heading into a tough festive schedule.
With Bowen delivering moments of brilliance, West Ham have reason to believe they can escape danger.
