Brighton left it agonisingly late to salvage a point against an impressive West Ham side, who were well worth their draw and, on another day, could quite comfortably have taken all three.
For long stretches this felt like a match shaped in the image of Nuno Espírito Santo. West Ham were organised, compact and quietly confident, happy to let Brighton have the ball so long as the spaces they cared about stayed closed. When they did spring forward, they did so with real menace, led by a front three of Paquetá, Bowen and Summerville that bristled with energy and invention.
In contrast, Brighton only truly came to life when the game was slipping away from them, rousing themselves for a frantic late assault that finally delivered an equaliser in stoppage time.
Hammers’ game plan on point
From the opening minutes it was clear West Ham had arrived with a plan and the discipline to execute it. The back four sat tight, the midfield screened diligently, and everything ahead of them was built around the fluid movement of Paquetá, Bowen and Summerville.
Paquetá drifted between the lines, forever showing for the ball and dictating the tempo of West Ham’s counters. Summerville, starting wide but constantly darting into the half-spaces, gave Brighton’s full-back a torrid afternoon, while Bowen played on the shoulder, ready to burst in behind whenever the pass was on.
Brighton, by contrast, hogged possession but did little with it. Their build-up was neat and tidy, full of short passes and patient recycling, but lacking any real penetration. For all their ball, the clearer chances were falling to the visitors.
Bowen breaks the deadlock
The breakthrough, when it came, felt entirely in keeping with the pattern of the match.
Midway through the second half, West Ham pounced on a loose pass in midfield and broke with purpose. Paquetá carried the ball forward before feeding Summerville, who drove at his man and slid a perfectly weighted pass into the channel. Bowen, timing his run superbly, took one touch to set himself and another to fire low into the far corner.
The away end erupted; the home support fell quiet. It was no more than West Ham deserved.
At 1–0 up, Nuno’s side looked increasingly comfortable. Brighton continued to circulate the ball but still lacked edge in the final third, while West Ham always looked capable of adding a second on the break. The front three, in particular, were excellent: Bowen’s ruthless finishing, Summerville’s direct running and Paquetá’s vision and work-rate knitted together into a front line that looked balanced and dangerous.
Nuno stamping his authority
If there were any doubts about Nuno Espírito Santo’s influence on this West Ham team, they are fading fast.
This performance had his fingerprints all over it. The defensive shape was solid, the distances between the lines were carefully managed, and every player seemed to understand their role both in and out of possession. West Ham were aggressive without being reckless, compact without being passive.
It was the sort of away display that speaks of a team buying into a manager’s ideas. The pressing triggers were coordinated, the transitions rehearsed, and the balance between risk and safety felt deliberate rather than improvised. West Ham under Nuno look increasingly like a side with an identity – and one that will be difficult to play against.
Brighton finally wake up
Only in the closing stages did Brighton truly resemble the attacking force their supporters expect.
Chasing the game, they began to move the ball more quickly, taking fewer touches in midfield and committing more bodies forward. Crosses started to flash across the six-yard box, second balls began to fall their way, and the West Ham defence – solid until then – was suddenly under siege.
The visiting goalkeeper was forced into a series of saves as Brighton peppered the box with deliveries and shots from the edge of the area. The Amex, flat for much of the evening, finally found its voice as wave after wave of attacks came in.
Just when it seemed West Ham would see it out, Brighton snatched their reward. Deep into stoppage time, another ball was swung into the area, a scramble ensued, and the home side bundled the ball over the line from close range. It was scruffy, chaotic and utterly vital.
Brighton had left it very late, but they were level.
A point each – but different emotions
At full-time, the contrast in emotions was stark.
For Brighton, the late equaliser will feel like a let-off. They avoided defeat and showed character in the final minutes, but they will know they cannot afford to sleepwalk through such large portions of matches and rely on late surges to bail them out.
For West Ham, this will sting. They were well worth the point, and the sense that they should have claimed all three is impossible to ignore. Their structure, discipline and the excellence of Paquetá, Bowen and Summerville all pointed towards a statement away win, only for it to slip from their grasp at the death.
Yet, in the bigger picture, there is encouragement. Under Nuno Espírito Santo, West Ham look organised, purposeful and increasingly confident. If they keep playing like this, nights that end with frustration rather than celebration will surely become less frequent.
On this one, though, they leave the south coast with just a point – and the nagging feeling that it could, and perhaps should, have been more.
