West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo was left incensed after a dramatic late equaliser from Brighton & Hove Albion, claiming his side were robbed of a vital victory by two clear Video Assistant Referee mistakes.
Controversial Late Leveller Sparks Fury
In a tense Premier League clash at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, 7th December 2025, it seemed Jarrod Bowen's 73rd-minute strike had secured a priceless three points for the struggling Hammers. However, deep into stoppage time, Brighton's Georginio Rutter fired home to snatch a 1-1 draw, a goal that was immediately checked by VAR official Tony Harrington.
Nuno's fury centred on two specific incidents in the build-up to Rutter's goal. First, there was a potential handball by the goalscorer. Secondly, and more visibly, there was clear contact from the high boot of Brighton's Charalampos Kostoulas on the head of West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos as he attempted to clear the ball.
"It's not 'appears', it's clear," Santo stated emphatically after the final whistle. "I saw it, everybody saw it. We cannot understand how they gave the goal. VAR saw it, everybody saw it. I think both situations should be checked."
Officials' Explanation Fails to Placate Hammers Boss
The Premier League later clarified the officials' decisions, explaining that VAR deemed Rutter's arm to be in a natural position and that he did not deliberately handle the ball. Furthermore, the high boot from Kostoulas was not judged to be dangerous play by referee Simon Hooper or the VAR team.
Nuno found this reasoning impossible to accept, especially given the visible impact on Mavropanos. "If Dinos was stood on the ground, maybe," he argued. "But there's contact on his head, isn't there?"
The Portuguese coach expressed his profound disappointment for his players and the travelling supporters, who had made the journey to the south coast. "It's hard to take, man, it's really hard to take especially after the hard work of the boys," he said. "This game meant a lot to us. The boys worked really hard. It's hard to take to go back to London with a point."
Bowen's Brilliance Overshadowed by Late Drama
The controversy completely overshadowed a moment of individual brilliance that had given West Ham the lead. Jarrod Bowen's goal was a piece of instinctive genius, effectively a perfect tackle that simultaneously dispossessed Brighton defender Ferdi Kadioglu and guided the ball past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and into the net.
That goal had put West Ham on the brink of a win that would have lifted them out of the Premier League relegation zone on goals scored. Instead, Rutter's contentious late intervention meant they had to settle for a solitary point.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler admitted his side were below par for large periods. "Disappointing result for us," he said. "We wanted more, we didn't deserve more, especially after the first half. We didn't have energy, no intensity, no joy, no connection."
The result leaves a bitter taste for West Ham, with the VAR controversy set to dominate headlines and spark yet another debate about the use of technology in the English top flight.
