Georginio Rutter's late leveller for Brighton denies West Ham

Jarrod Bowen scored an incredible goal with what was essentially a tackle.

Georginio Rutter netted a last-gasp equaliser for Brighton (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Brighton 1 West Ham 1

A last-gasp Georginio Rutter strike secured a 1-1 Premier League draw for Brighton after Jarrod Bowen’s moment of inspired improvisation so nearly fired West Ham to a rare win at their bogey side.

England World Cup hopeful Bowen scored an incredible goal with what was essentially a tackle.

He slid the ball away from Seagulls defender Ferdi Kadioglu, guiding it across goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and into the net all in one motion.

It was an unlikely strike which so nearly secured an unlikely win, what would have been only West Ham’s second over Brighton in 17 meetings in the Premier League.

But below-par Brighton salvaged a point in stoppage-time when Rutter finally beat Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

In rain-soaked conditions on the south coast, Brighton carried the greater threat early on and Maxim De Cuyper’s cross almost crept inside Areola’s near post, before Diego Gomez headed a good chance wide from a corner.

Lucas Paqueta was back in West Ham’s attack, having missed out at Old Trafford through suspension after his angry red card against Liverpool.

The Brazil international began to exert an influence as the first half wore on, first with an inviting through-ball to Bowen, whose shot was blocked.

And West Ham, still in the bottom three, passed up the best chance of the opening half when Paqueta stuck out a leg to rob Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk and prod the ball to Crysencio Summerville.

The Dutch winger – back after month out injured – raced clean through but sent his finish across Verbruggen and wide of the far post.

After the break Lewis Dunk, making his 501st Brighton appearance, ran the length of the pitch to head off a West Ham counter from a Seagulls corner, sliding in to block Bowen’s square ball to Summerville for a tap-in.

Moments later Verbruggen made a stunning double save to keep out Bowen’s deflected drive and Summerville’s acrobatic attempt at the rebound.

But Verbruggen was powerless to prevent Bowen giving West Ham a 73rd-minute lead after Jan Paul van Hecke misjudged a header.

Substitute Callum Wilson took the ball forward and slipped it into the path of Bowen, who was neck and neck in a race with Kadioglu.

The Seagulls full-back must have thought he had Bowen where he wanted him, well wide of goal, but the Hammers captain slid in to win the ball and – in the same motion – guide it across Verbruggen and inside the far post.

Brighton almost equalised seconds after the restart when Rutter’s cross hit Max Kilman and looped over Areola, with the Hammers keeper at full stretch to tip the ball against the crossbar.

However, Areola was eventually beaten in injury time, at the second attempt, by Rutter.

The France keeper blocked Rutter’s first effort but was powerless to stop the rebound, with the goal surviving a VAR check for handball.

West Ham could still have snatched a victory at the death but Konstantinos Mavropanos headed narrowly wide from a corner.