Mohammed Kudus scored his third Premier League goal of the season as West Ham came from behind to earn a draw against Brighton at the London Stadium.
Brighton took the lead shortly after half-time when Mats Wieffer scored his first goal for the club. A high ball from Pervis Estupinan was only partially cleared by Lukasz Fabianski, allowing Wieffer to pounce and stab the ball home from near the penalty spot.
West Ham equalized seven minutes later when Jarrod Bowen weaved his way forward and saw his shot saved by Bart Verbruggen. Kudus was there to head in the rebound, leveling the score.
Before the match, West Ham paid a heartfelt tribute to their academy goalkeeper, Oscar Fairs, who recently passed away at the age of 15 after battling cancer. The mood was further somber with Hammers manager Julen Lopetegui attending his father’s funeral this week and Michail Antonio’s recent involvement in a car accident still on the minds of the players.
In a first half with little excitement, the only real chance came from Brighton, with Joao Pedro’s clever pass to Kaoru Mitoma, whose volley was saved by Fabianski.
Both teams picked up their pace in the second half, with Brighton coming close when Yankuba Minteh’s low cross was just missed by Mitoma, who hit the post from close range.
Fullkrug Struggles as West Ham’s Striker
In a week when reports surfaced about Niclas Fullkrug’s frustration with his role at West Ham, manager Lopetegui gave him his first Premier League start, hoping to spark a response. However, Fullkrug’s performance was underwhelming, with only a few flick-ons and misplaced passes to show for his 57 minutes on the pitch before being substituted.
While Fullkrug possesses the attributes to succeed in the Premier League, he appeared sluggish and out of sync with Lopetegui’s possession-based style. His time at West Ham.
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