Rutter's stoppage-time strike denies West Ham as Brighton rescue a point in a stormy Amex stalemate
Georginio Rutter’s first goal of the season arrived at the latest possible moment, a stoppage-time equaliser that salvaged a 1-1 draw for Brighton and Hove Albion and snatched a precious point from West Ham United’s grasp on a wild, rain-lashed afternoon at the Amex Stadium.
Jarrod Bowen’s extraordinary 73rd-minute finish, improvised from an almost impossible angle after a rapid counter-attack, looked set to give Nuno Espírito Santo’s side what would have been only their second Premier League victory over Brighton in 17 attempts and a huge boost in their fight against relegation. Instead, Brighton – listless for long stretches and repeatedly thwarted by West Ham’s low block – summoned another late surge, with Rutter finally beating Alphonse Areola at the second attempt before surviving a lengthy VAR check for handball.
The draw leaves Fabian Hürzeler’s side rueing a missed opportunity to close in on the top four after Chelsea’s slip at Bournemouth, while West Ham remain in the bottom three despite a run that now reads two wins, three draws and just one defeat from their past six league games. Both managers departed with mixed emotions: pride in their teams’ resilience, but frustration at what might have been.