Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - April 26, 2025 Brighton & Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma scores their second goal REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska
BRIGHTON, England (Reuters) -Brighton & Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba scored late goals to snatch a thrilling 3-2 Premier League victory over visiting West Ham United that ended their side's run of seven successive games without a victory in all competitions.
West Ham appeared poised to claim the points after second-half goals from Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek cancelled out an early strike by Brighton's Yasin Ayari.
But in a breathless finish, Mitoma nodded home from close range in the 89th minute after Brajan Gruda headed the ball across the face of goal.
Baleba then unleashed a blistering shot from distance into the top corner in the 92nd before celebrating with a back-flip.
The goal prompted a frenzied reaction inside the Amex Stadium as Brighton boss Fabian Huerzeler raced down the touchline throwing a fist into the air.
"I didn't enjoy it because shortly before the end we were 2-2 and we wanted to win. But the moment when we scored was unbelievable," Huerzeler told Sky Sports.
"You saw the reaction from the players, crowd, the staff and fans, we really wanted to win. This was a special moment."
Brighton remain ninth on 51 points as they seek a European place, while Graham Potter's West Ham, without a victory in seven league games, are languishing 17th with 36.
That was good fun," Brighton captain Lewis Dunk told Sky. "We started excellently but once we went 1-0 up we stopped playing and the intensity dropped. Second half they started better but we showed character to win the game.
"I am just buzzing. We have shown great character after a tough run. It is massive to keep us in the race to where we want to go," he added.
Ayari put Brighton ahead after 13 minutes with a screamer from the edge of the 18-yard box into the top corner that West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had little chance of stopping.
Kudus levelled in the 48th after Jarrod Bowen drove to the byline before threading a pinpoint pass to the midifielder, whose strike from the top of the six-yard box went through keeper Bart Verbruggen's legs.
Bowen then whipped in a cross that Soucek headed home after 83 minutes that had West Ham celebrating what they thought was a long-awaited victory before Brighton's late-game heroics.
Bowen's first assist made him West Ham's all-time Premier League leader, while his second gave him 37 for his career.
"To lose the game in that manner is sickening," said Bowen. "But we have to look at ourselves. This is not the first time we have been in a winning position and not picked up points. This is the Premier League, you have to be on it."
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Ken Ferris)
