Brighton Lack Of Luck Extends Six-match Winless Run After Premier League Draw With West Ham

Brighton extended a worrying winless spell to six matches as Fabian Hurzeler’s side drew 2-2 with struggling West Ham, in a Premier League contest defined by three first-half penalties and another missed

opportunity to close out a much-needed victory.

The result keeps Brighton 14th in the table, while West Ham finish 2025 in 18th place and on a nine-game run without a win, raising concerns that mirror the 2002 season, when a similar sequence ended in relegation.

Hurzeler felt the overall level of Brighton’s display merited more than a single point, as the head coach praised the attitude but lamented fine details that went against the visitors in both penalty areas across a frantic evening in east London.

The 32-year-old told BBC Sport, "A good performance, but in the end not a result we can be happy with. In some moments we missed some quality, in some moments we had a lack of luck. That's why it was 2-2. "

The opening 45 minutes produced rare drama, with three penalties awarded in a single Premier League half for the first time since 2002, as both Brighton and West Ham repeatedly tested each other’s composure from twelve yards in a high-tempo start.

West Ham struck first after only ten minutes, when Jarrod Bowen converted the opening penalty. Brighton hit back soon after as Danny Welbeck scored from the spot, but Welbeck later missed a second penalty, becoming the ninth Premier League player to score and fail from the spot in the same first half.

Brighton vs West Ham Premier League key figures and scoreline swing

That miss proved costly before the interval, because Lucas Paqueta then converted West Ham’s own penalty to send Nuno Espirito Santo’s team into half-time with a 2-1 lead, shifting momentum towards the hosts despite Brighton threatening regularly in open play.

Brighton continued to push after the restart and eventually levelled through Joel Veltman, whose goal secured a point but not the breakthrough result Hurzeler wanted, as Brighton’s pressure did not translate into the decisive third goal that might have ended their winless sequence.

Team	Goals	Penalties Scored	Penalties Missed	Current Run	League Position end of 2025
Brighton	2	1 (Welbeck)	1 (Welbeck)	Six matches without a win	14th
West Ham	2	2 (Bowen, Paqueta)	0	Nine matches without a win	18th

Brighton vs West Ham Premier League winless runs and belief

Despite that ongoing drought, Hurzeler insisted Brighton remain confident that results will turn soon, stressing that the squad already showed enough in previous performances to trust the process, even if the latest draw again highlighted narrow margins.

"We have proved we are capable," Hurzeler said. "We have the belief in our quality and ourselves. Small margins are missing but we keep pushing and I'm sure we'll be back to getting on the winning track. "

Fabian's thoughts after #WHUBHA. pic.twitter.com/NheYBmjr78Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 30, 2025

Brighton vs West Ham Premier League context for Nuno Espirito Santo

For West Ham, the draw extends a difficult 2025, as the club last ended a calendar year with a longer winless streak in 2002, a campaign that ultimately finished with relegation and remains a warning sign for supporters and staff.

Nuno, however, took encouragement from sections of the display, particularly before half-time. He told BBC Sport, "First half was better, we contained, dominated, created a lot of chances. Second half we started well, controlling well with good combinations, but after conceding we went through some troubles, especially when Brighton brought on Mitoma and Rutter, fresh players with such quality. After that we were trying to hold on with the young boys. I'm really pleased with what they gave to the team and squad, but we didn't have many situations from which we could counter-attack from. "

The point leaves both Brighton and West Ham searching for their first wins of 2026, with Hurzeler and Nuno focusing on converting competitive performances into victories, as tight Premier League margins continue to shape the battle around the lower half of the table.