- Yasin Ayari’s strike was cancelled out by Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek
- Karou Mitoma equalised for hosts in the last minute before Baleba’s winner
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Carlos Baleba watched the ball bend into top corner and then off he went with a backflip and a somersault while the rest of his Brighton team-mates scattered in all directions.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side weren’t just happy to settle for a point when Kaoru Mitoma had headed in his last-minute equaliser after Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soueck thought they had secured an unexpected comeback for West Ham.
Brighton continued to push and when Brajan Gruda found Baleba 30 yards out, the Cameroon international whipped it past a motionless Alphonse Areola to send the Amex Stadium into raptures to secure first win in six league games.
‘We knew he has a special ability to score goals but I don’t see this often to be far,’ said Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.
‘I was impressed in the players’ belief in themselves and how they reacted to setbacks. It was very emotional in last 10 minutes, to then keep clear in your mind is not easy.’
What a ridiculous, frantic, breathless game. It was a match that Brighton dominated for long periods and took a deserved lead in the first half when Yasin Ayari curled his own long-range effort into the top corner.
Birighton struck two late goals to claim a stunning 3-2 win over West Ham at the Amex
Carlos Baleba watched the ball curl into the top corner in stoppage time and was then mobbed
For West Ham, this is becoming a habit. They let a late lead slip in the 93rd minute against Southampton last weekend but this was even worse, leading until the 89th and losing it in the 92nd.
They conceded in the 89th minute to Liverpool and the 91st to Everton too in recent weeks.
It’s now seven games without a win for Potter, who has taken just 13 points from his 14 league games in charge with the Hammers in 17th and above only the promoted sides.
If Potter has gone to bed wondering what reception he might face on his return to Brighton, he would have hardly expected the derogatory chants to come from his own fans over his decision to leave out striker Niclas Fullkrug, who had come out after the Southampton draw to hammer West Ham’s ‘mentality problems’.
They wasted little time in making their feelings about him clear. ‘Our big f****** German, he says what he wants,’ they sang from behind the goal. When the opening game went in, even after Soucek had earlier found the side netting, they changed their approach to ‘Our German’s right, we’re f****** sh*te.’
‘They are entitled to sing whatever they want,’ said Potter after the game, who insisted he had not left Fullkrug out for his comments.
‘The pain at the moment is pretty hard. The lads are devastated, we are all devastated. We were unable to sustain what we need to do to win games in the Premier League.
‘We have to look at how we can support players towards the back end of games. What substitutions we can make to shut up shop. But in the end the players are there as well, I’m having to answer these questions when the players are on the pitch.’
Karou Mitoma had got the Seagulls level with a close-range header in the last minute
Yasin Ayari picked up the ball on the edge of the area and curled it straight into the top corner
Mohammed Kudus tapped in his first league goal since December for the equaliser
Tomas Soucek then turned home Jarrod Bowen’s cross to give West Ham the lead before Brighton’s two late goals
West Ham are now winless in seven following Saturday’s latest defeat
Potter brought Fullkrug on at half-time and two minutes later West Ham equalised when Jarrod Bowen pulled the ball back for Kudus to tap in for his first league goal since December.
Bowen crossed for Soucek to nod in with seven minutes to go before substitute Mitoma returned the favour at the other end. Then Baleba stole the show.
