West Ham United 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Seagulls rescue point in penalty-mad encounter

West Ham United extended their winless run in the Premier League to eight games after securing a point in an entertaining clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Irons remain in the relegation zone and sit four points from safety after letting their lead slip twice against a determined Seagulls side at the London Stadium.

Nuno Espirito Santo watched his men take an early lead when captain Jarrod Bowen put the hosts ahead after just 10 minutes, with the striker making the most of a one-on-one situation with the Brighton keeper.

Referee Michael Salisbury was in the thick of the action after the half-hour mark, awarding two Brighton penalties in a space of four minutes. Danny Welbeck scored the first but hit the crossbar on his second attempt.

West Ham got a penalty of their own just before the break, which was brilliantly converted by Brazilian forward Lucas Paqueta to put his side back in front.

That lead was extinguished for the second time when Joel Veltman rattled the net from close range, securing a point for the out-of-form Seagulls.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

With Nottingham Forest losing at home against Everton, West Ham had an opportunity to go within two points of safety. Unfortunately for the Irons, they could only close the gap by one point after being held to their sixth draw of the season.

In fairness, a stalemate was not a terrible result for Nuno and his men considering Brighton were firmly on top in the second half of the match and threatened to score the winner on several occasions.

West Ham’s current position in the table looks bleak, and the fact they have not won a Premier League game since the start of November is a serious concern. However, scoring two against the Seagulls will certainly boost confidence ahead of their massive upcoming games against Wolverhampton and Forest.

Brighton, meanwhile, extended their winless run in the Premier League to six games, last tasting victory away against the aforementioned Tricky Trees in late November.

Fabian Hurzeler and his men have been steadily slipping down the standings over recent weeks, and this result means they will head into 2026 sitting in 14th spot – still within five points of the top five.

WEST HAM VS. BRIGHTON HIGHLIGHTS

Jarrod Bowen goal vs. Brighton (10th min, West Ham 1-0 Brighton)

Captain Bowen opens the scoring!

Lucas Paqueta delivers a majestic through ball into Bowen, who finds himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and tucks away the finish to put West Ham ahead!

Captain Bowen STRIKES again! ? pic.twitter.com/BjT6kJ2Gaw
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 30, 2025

Danny Welbeck goal vs. West Ham (32nd min, West Ham 1-1 Brighton)

Welbeck levels the match!

Brighton are awarded a penalty, and Welbeck steps up to take it. The striker shows cold blood as he buries the ball into the bottom left corner to bring his team back into the contest.

Danny Welbeck missed penalty vs. West Ham (36th min, West Ham 1-1 Brighton)

Absolute mayhem at the London Stadium!

Just four minutes after converting a penalty, Brighton are awarded yet another spot kick. Welbeck steps up for the second time, but he goes for a cheeky finish and ends up finding the crossbar! He will be kicking himself!

"WHAT A MESS" ?

Danny Welbeck tries a panenka and it's off the bar! pic.twitter.com/yqSonbeeX4
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 30, 2025

Lucas Paqueta goal vs. Brighton (45th min, West Ham 2-1 Brighton)

Another penalty in the capital!

West Ham are awarded a spot kick just before the interval. Paqueta takes the responsibility, and he delivers the goods with a strong finish into the bottom right corner.

Joel Veltman goal vs. West Ham (61st min, West Ham 2-2 Brighton)

Brighton are level!

Ferdi Kadioglu takes a tasty corner, drilling the ball into Alphonse Areola, who palms the ball into the path of Veltman. The 33-year-old makes no mistake from close range and finds the back of the net.

MAN OF THE MATCH - JARROD BOWEN

Bowen put in a solid performance against Brighton - both with and without the ball. The striker showed his quality with the first goal of the game, but the England international also did a lot of dirty work and certainly led the charge for the Irons.

In terms of stats, Bowen completed most of his 22 passes, won half of ground duels and won 67% of tackles. He also completed most of his dribbles and had two shots on target.

WEST HAM VS. BRIGHTON MATCH STATS

Possession: West Ham 39%-61% Brighton

Shots: West Ham 10-16 Brighton

Shots on target: West Ham 4-6 Brighton

Corners: West Ham 5-5 Brighton

Fouls: West Ham 11-18 Brighton

BEST STATS

?? West Ham are winless in their last 8 matches…

• ⚖️ 2-2 draw vs Bournemouth
• ❌ 2-0 loss vs Liverpool
• ⚖️ 1-1 draw vs Man United
• ⚖️ 1-1 draw vs Brighton
• ❌ 3-2 loss vs Aston Villa
• ❌ 3-0 loss vs Man City
• ❌ 1-0 loss vs Fulham
• ⚖️ 2-2 draw vs Brighton pic.twitter.com/6xBwN0tWEg
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 30, 2025

Ollie Scarles for West Ham against Brighton:

◉ Most interceptions (3)
◉ Most chances created (2)
◉ Most clearances (8)
◉ Most headed clearances (3)
◎ Second-most passes into final 3rd (5)
◎ Second-most recoveries (9)

Redemption arc. ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/BRZMyHhlIe
— Hammers Hub (@HammersHubWHUFC) December 30, 2025

WHAT NEXT?

West Ham will be looking to kick off 2026 on a winning note when they travel to Wolverhampton for a huge game at the bottom of the Premier League table. The Irons will follow that up with another massive clash against Nottingham Forest just three days later.

Brighton have also got a busy start to the New Year, kicking off the calendar year at home against Burnley, before travelling to a red-hot Manchester City side just four days later.