Last-Gasp Baleba Stunner Lifts Brighton in Dramatic Amex Thriller

Brighton & Hove Albion kept their European hopes alive with a heart-stopping 3-2 victory over West Ham, piling even more pressure on former boss Graham Potter at the Amex Stadium.

In a match bursting with twists, two late goals in the dying minutes flipped the script as Brighton snatched a win that leaves West Ham winless in their last seven Premier League outings.

With a top-seven finish slipping out of sight, Brighton knew eighth place – and a potential route into the UEFA Conference League – was their new target. But it was West Ham who nearly stole an early lead, as Tomáš Souček found himself free inside the box, only to lash into the side netting.

And as often happens, they were made to pay. Yasin Ayari produced a moment of pure magic, unleashing a 30-yard rocket that left the Amex gasping and the Seagulls flying high.

The early fireworks soon faded into a cagier affair. Brighton had a scare when Mohammed Kudus went down in the box, but VAR showed no foul play. Minutes later, Bart Verbruggen had to pull off a heroic fingertip save to deny Souček’s bullet header, keeping the hosts ahead.

Brighton thought they had doubled their advantage just before halftime when Simon Adingra tucked the ball away, but VAR came to West Ham’s rescue, chalking it off for offside in the build-up.

The Seagulls’ missed chances would haunt them straight after the restart. Jarrod Bowen danced through Brighton’s defence before cutting back for Kudus, who coolly slotted home to draw the Hammers level.

With their tails up, West Ham pressed for more, and even Aaron Wan-Bissaka – hardly known for his goal-scoring – tested Verbruggen with a fierce strike at the near post.

Jack Hinshelwood almost restored Brighton’s lead, but his deflected shot skidded narrowly wide. Then came what looked to be the hammer blow – Bowen whipped in a delicious cross for Souček, who powered a header past Verbruggen to seemingly seal a rare away win for the Londoners.

But just when West Ham thought they had it in the bag, Brighton hit back. Kaoru Mitoma, criminally left unmarked in the six-yard box, nodded in Brajan Gruda’s knockdown to set up a frantic finale.

Refusing to settle for a draw, Brighton threw everything forward – and they found their hero deep into stoppage time. Carlos Baleba picked up the ball from distance and curled a stunning shot beyond Alphonse Areola, sparking wild celebrations and keeping the Seagulls dreaming of European nights next season.

Final Score: Brighton 3-2 West Ham