Match Report Kudus on target as Hammers draw with Brighton ...

The second half – with Jean-Clair Todibo replacing the booked Mavropanos at the break – was much more of a spectacle. However, it took Brighton opening the scoring to spring the game truly into life.

The Seagulls struck six minutes in. Fabiański and Lewis Dunk challenged for Pervis Estupiñán’s hanging cross, and the ball hit both men before dropping for Netherlands international Wieffer, who confidently fired into the bottom right-hand corner from 12 yards. A VAR review confirmed Dunk was onside and the goal was given.

West Ham’s response arrived within seven minutes, though. Tomáš Souček released Bowen through the middle, the captain fired a left-footed shot that Verbruggen could only parry and Kudus leapt high to steer his header under the crossbar, then celebrated by sitting on a custom-made stool behind the goal.

From then on, the two sides traded chances to win it, with substitutes taking centre-stage.

Fabiański made a smart save low to his right to push away a deflected effort from Brighton replacement Yasin Ayari, then West Ham sub Crysencio Summerville was denied by Dunk, before Yankuba Minteh’s cross was diverted against the inside of his own post by Vladimír Coufal.

Into the final minutes and Verbruggen went full-length to claw Edson Álvarez’s curler away, before Fabiański trumped that by keeping out another shot from Ayari, then, in added-time, Aaron Wan-Bissaka saved his side a point with a brave last-ditch clearance.

West Ham United: Fabiański, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos (Todibo HT), Kilman, Emerson (Coufal 71), Álvarez (Rodríguez 90), Souček, Kudus, Paquetá (Scarles 71), Bowen ©, Füllkrug (Summerville 57)Subs not used: Areola (GK), Irving, Luis Guilherme, Ings

Goal: Kudus 58

Booked: Paquetá, Mavropanos

Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Veltman (Lamptey 67), van Hecke, Dunk ©, Estupiñán, Baleba, Gruda (Minteh 67), Wieffer (Ayari 56), Rutter (Enciso 68), Mitoma (Ferguson 85), João PedroSubs not used: Steele (GK), Igor Julio, O’Riley, Adringa

Goal: Wieffer 51

Booked: Veltman, Estupiñán

Referee: Robert Jones

Attendance: 62,460