West Ham 2-2 Brighton: Both sides continue their winless runs in 4-goal thriller

West Ham and Brighton could not snap out of their winless runs by the end of 2025 as both sides settled for a breathless 2-2 draw - in a game which contained three penalties.

Match Report

Danny Welbeck scores penalty then misses Panenka spot-kick as Hammers and Seagulls end 2025 on winless runs.

All three spot-kicks came within a 15-minute period at the end of the first half, following Jarrod Bowen's 10th-minute opener, slotting home after Lucas Paqueta's slick through ball.

Danny Welbeck converted the first of those penalties after Yankuba Minteh was tripped by Max Kilman - but the Brighton striker would have his head in his hands five minutes later.

Brighton were given a second spot-kick just minutes later when Paqueta rugby tackled Lewis Dunk to the ground, but a Panenka effort from Welbeck came back off the bar - leading to a scuffle as West Ham seemingly accused the forward of a lack of respect.Then West Ham were awarded a penalty themselves, adding to Welbeck's woes. Callum Wilson's strike struck Dunk on the arm which was not spotted on-field - but VAR Stuart Attwell sent referee Michael Salisbury to the monitor. Paqueta converted to end his own topsy-turvy half on a high.

All three penalties had no controversy to them - but there was some after half-time, in a game which never let up. Brighton thought they should have had a third penalty of the match when substitute Kaoru Mitoma was felled by Bowen - but VAR opted not to award it after looking at it.

From the resulting corner, Brighton equalised anyway as the ball was palmed out by Alphonse Areola, leaving Joel Veltman to tap in from close range. West Ham wanted a foul given on their goalkeeper but there was nothing clear to suggest he had been impeded.

Both sides had chances to claim a winner. Bowen saw an effort well saved by Bart Verbruggen, while Areola was equal to smart efforts from Mitoma and fellow substitute Georginio Rutter - both subs changing the game after coming on.

The result leaves West Ham on a winless run of eight games - although now six points from safety after Nottingham Forest lost to Everton. Brighton have also not won in six, so both sides certainly have new year resolutions to make.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

10' GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Brighton (Jarrod Bowen)

32' Penalty Goal! West Ham 1-1 Brighton (Danny Welbeck)

36' Penalty Missed!  (Danny Welbeck)

49' Penalty Goal! West Ham 2-1 Brighton (Lucas Paquetá)

61' GOAL! West Ham 2-2 Brighton (Joël Veltman)

Line-ups

West Ham XI: Callum Wilson, Areola, Bowen, Walker-Peters, Paqueta, Kilman, Todibo, Freddie Potts, Soungoutou Magassa, Mateus Fernandes, Oliver Scarles

Subs: Soucek, G. Rodriguez, Mavropanos, Crysencio Summerville, Mads Hermansen, George Earthy, Mohamadou Kanté, Ezra Mayers, Airidas Golambeckis

Brighton XI: Milner, Welbeck, Veltman, Dunk, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Maxim De Cuyper, Jan Paul van Hecke, Bart Verbruggen, Yasin Ayari, Diego Gómez, Yankuba Minteh

Subs: Steele, Olivier Boscagli, Kaoru Mitoma, Georginio Rutter, Diego Coppola, Brajan Gruda, Jack Hinshelwood, Charalampos Kostoulas, Tom Watson