West Ham's latest chapter in their fight for survival saw them play out an entertaining 2-2 draw against Brighton in East London.
Just 72 hours after their home defeat to Fulham, fans trudged towards a gloomy Olympic Park, less than optimistic, against a Brighton side they have not beaten at home since the Seagulls' promotion to the top flight back in 2017. The Hammers fans were also hoping to end the miserable year with just their fifth home win in 2025.
Two winless sides
A slight glimmer of hope was the visitor's recent form. Fabian Hurzeler's side headed into the game without a win in five, one of those being a draw with West Ham at the Amex Stadium just a few weeks prior. Even so, some lacklustre performances have left Nuno Espirito Santo's side losing sight of both Leeds and Nottingham Forest above.
With the term must-win being emphasised more and more, Nuno opted to start striker Callum Wilson from the off. The squad's only first-team striker has four goals to his name this season in 16 appearances. While West Ham opted for one change, Brighton made four following their unfortunate defeat to Arsenal on Saturday. Experienced duo Joel Veltman and James Milner made starts, as did attacking pair Danny Welbeck and Yankuba Minteh, as Hurzeler opted to try and exploit the home side's defensive frailties.
Bowen strikes first
While the hosts were pinned back towards the Bobby Moore stand in the opening minutes, a sight all too familiar, it was not Brighton who landed the first blow. Lucas Paqueta's well-timed through ball found Jarrod Bowen in acres of space, the captain pulling away from van Hecke, before rolling the ball past Bart Verbruggen and into the far corner.
After a quiet 20-minute spell, the game exploded into life, courtesy of VAR and some ridiculous defensive decisions. While Brighton searched for an opening, Diego Gomez's clever dummy set up Minteh in the box; the Gambian winger was brought down by Max Kilman's lunging tackle. Welbeck stepped up to score his eighth goal of the season, sending Alphonse Areola the wrong way.
Penalty drama
West Ham often seem most vulnerable after conceding, something that was yet again proven true minutes later. Paqueta's rugby-like tackle on Lewis Dunk from a corner resulted in yet another penalty; the Brazilian left with little defence. Welbeck stepped up again; however, his soft panenka came back off the crossbar and subsequently cleared, causing tensions to boil with Mateus Fernandes, especially less than happy with Welbeck's casual effort.
The five-minute spell was a metaphor for West Ham's season. Sitting back, inviting pressure, with stupid decision-making and lack of intelligence mixed in. The penalty miss did prove costly, as VAR had intervention at the other end of the pitch before half-time. Ollie Scarles, the young left-back who was putting in a mature performance following his mistake at the weekend, found Wilson in the box. Wilson's powerful shot was blocked by Dunk, with the use of his arm. A busy Michael Salisbury was sent to the monitor, where the decision of a penalty stood. While Paqueta's run-up felt like time had frozen, the 28-year-old slotted the ball into the bottom corner to restore the lead.
Seagulls pressure
No fan inside the stadium home sections believed the vital three points were staying in East London. The introduction of Kaoru Mitoma and Brajan Gruda gave the Sussex side more flair and creativity against the Hammers' back-line.
Mitoma was immediately involved, the Japanese winger winning a corner out wide. The resulting delivery was met by Veltman from close range, following Areola's hesitation, attempting to punch the ball clear. The Dutch centre-back's first goal of the season sparked life into the visitors, and was the 11th goal West Ham have conceded this season from a corner. Shortly after, Mitoma's low shot was saved shortly after following a neat exchange with Gomez.
While Brighton enjoyed possession, their lack of cutting edge was showing. West Ham showed little of themselves going forward. The removal of Callum Wilson was met with confusion among the West Ham faithful, as Nuno opted to introduce Crysencio Summerville. The pacey winger had a couple of opportunities, although he failed to test Verbruggen in the Brighton goal.
Fabian's thoughts after #WHUBHA... 💬👇 pic.twitter.com/NheYBmjr78
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 30, 2025
The three points nearly headed back to the Amex in the final minutes, again from a corner kick. Areola was beaten by the inswinger, although Konstantinos Mavropanos was on hand to head the ball off the line. The final whistle brought a chorus of boos, as fans saw the back of a painful 2025 with very few home comforts.
Lack of depth
The contrast in substitutions highlighted the difference between the two squads, and crucially, the lack of options for Nuno. At a pivotal point in the game, Hurzeler could turn to the likes of Mitoma, Gruda, Rutter and Hinshelwood to attempt to change the balance of the match. For the West Ham boss, aside from Summerville and Soucek, he was faced with four academy products plus Guido Rodriguez, a World Cup winner with Argentina, who has failed to deliver in East London.
While finishing the game with four youth players on the pitch was something taken with pride from the ‘Academy of football’, it was a move that seemed more forced than brave. On a tense night where the club's top-flight status hangs in the balance, players were needed who you knew could come in and deliver.
Crucial few weeks
The club face a huge January. Not just in the transfer window, but on the pitch with their next two games against Wolves and Nottingham Forest, both of which could have a big say on the situation Nuno faces in the coming weeks.
Nuno on tonight's draw ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/BDVuGnCxn0
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 30, 2025
Despite a bit more fight being shown towards the end of the game to prevent a Brighton winner, the performance still seemed lacklustre. Some will say it was a better showing than Fulham, and that is a fair assessment. An assessment that also shows how low the recent standards have been at the club.
A trip to winless Wolves could allow them to close the gap to Nottingham Forest above, although the Hammers have already lost at Molineux this season in the Carabao Cup. They then host Sean Dyche’s Forest in a crucial relegation scrap under the lights next Tuesday.
For Brighton, it’s six games now without three points, a run that has seen them drop to 14th in the league. Their new year kicks off at home to Burnley before a trip to Manchester City.
