'He has got everything, but a lot to learn' published at 11:06
11:06
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Former Brighton striker Warren Aspinall spoke to BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast about midfielder Carlos Baleba:
"He's got amazing attributes. For a young player, he's got everything. What frustrates me is that when he plays, it's like he's playing with his mates in the park. He knows he can switch it on and off whenever he wants.
"He sometimes gets caught out and Lewis [Dunk] has to be on to him. He's got a lot of things to learn because you have to be disciplined in that position. His pace has got him out of trouble on a couple of occasions.
On his goal against West Ham: "The bend on it was incredible - he's got that goal in his locker. He's clever, he bent it round the defender and used him as a wall so that the keeper couldn't see the ball. It was a wonderful strike."
180 seconds... was it season-defining?published at 12:30 29 April
12:30 29 April
Scott McCarthy Fan writer
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You can boil an egg in 180 seconds. You can pour a perfect pint of a well-known black stout from Ireland in 180 seconds. But can you turn around a football season which was heading off the rails in 180 seconds?
Brighton will be hoping so. With 89 minutes on the clock at the Amex on Saturday, plenty of Albion fans who had not walked out when West Ham went 2-1 ahead six minutes earlier were preparing to go into meltdown.
Graham Potter was getting ready to celebrate the Hammers ending their six-game winless run.
It seemed set to be the ultimate blow for those Seagulls supporters still unable to forgive Potter for walking out to join Chelsea in September 2022, followed by comments like "If I wanted an easy life, I would have stayed at Brighton."
Doctor Brighton had cured another opposition's ailing form. The Albion meanwhile were about to make it seven games of their own without victory. Leaving any hope of European football hanging by the thinnest of threads.
That was until everything changed. In 180 seconds. Kaoru Mitoma equalised and Carlos Baleba struck a 93rd minute rocket as the Albion somehow staged an epic comeback.
It left Potter as the crestfallen one, talking in a madcap post-match press conference about swearing and not being a robot.
What has characterised Brighton under Fabian Hurzeler this season is the way they go on lengthy good runs of form and lengthy bad runs of form. One incident or performance has often determined what happens for the next five or six games.
This trait has been most evident over the past two months. Lose 7-0. Win six in a row. Get knocked out the FA Cup. Don't win again for another six in a row.
Which is why what happened against West Ham has the potential to be season-defining. Is it the spark the Albion need to go on a run of results over the final four games and qualify for Europe? Fingers crossed.
David: Astonishing effort from the whole squad. We were so determined to win the game, so good!
Oscar: What an ending! Yasin Ayari - where do I start? He bossed the midfield and scored a goal to fit his perfect performance. Kaoru Mitoma was an amazing super-sub, using his pace down the wing. Carlos Baleba was in a different position to where he usually plays, but he played it really well. The whole team played amazing to comeback from 1-2 to win 3-2. Just amazing!
Tom: An absolutely incredible end to the game. A rollercoaster of emotions; however we cannot rely on late equalisers and winners. We need to build on this result and try to get maximum points. If West Ham hadn't switched off towards the end of the game, we would have gone away with no points. Fabian Hurzeler is a lucky man!
Noddy: No goalkeeper in the world would have been able to save those two goals.
Chris: A decent 'paper-over-the-cracks' performance at last, but that still can't win over a disappointing season. European football is only a very slim chance given Fulham and Bournemouth are still collecting points, our on and off form and unpredictable player performances. It really has been a wasted run-in so far. A change is needed at the top for next season.
West Ham fans
Steve: A better performance - very encouraging. We have nothing to play for, admittedly. It's about building for next year now. I think Potter should be given time, I'm starting to see us on the front foot. We move on.
Justin: Poor, lacklustre, abysmal! Take your pick. Potter has shown no tactical ability in his starting line-ups or substitutions. The team has shown no signs of improvement under him. I wasn't enamoured by his appointment. To only avoid a relegation battle because the three teams below us are so dire just isn't good enough for a man who was at one time going to be England's new manager.
Anthony: We were doing well and then we brought on Vladimir Coufal and he immediately helped Brighton score. It was a poor decision from Potter. They are playing well under him, and gradually improving, but they are either missing scoring opportunities or giving goals away by poor defending. Plenty of work to be done this summer.
Rod: Shocking, embarrassing, limp, laughable, clueless and unprofessional. Did I miss anything?
Peter: No amount of feeble excuses from Potter will disguise the fact that he has failed to fulfil his mandate.
Baleba has 'got that in his locker'published at 08:08 28 April
08:08 28 April
Chris Wise Final Score reporter at Amex Stadium
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An auxiliary centre-half scoring a screamer to win the match with the last kick of the game? Sounds like the stuff of fantasy.
Perhaps that is why the reaction to Brighton's Carlos Baleba's sublime goal against West Ham was met with almost disbelieving scenes of chaos at Amex Stadium.
But to nab a well-used sporting phrase - 'he's got that in his locker'.
Baleba's attributes are well spread - physically imposing, athletic, comfortable with the ball, and clearly a scorer of very decent goals.
It will be interesting to see if Brighton persist with Baleba as a centre-half. Speaking to several people around the club at the weekend, the general consensus was that he would make an excellent defender. Mind you, he might need some convincing if the club do think that is a plausible route.
Fabian Hurzeler will hope that moment revitalises their season, because the headlines could have been very different at the weekend.
They have still got Newcastle and Liverpool to come at home, so there was a real sense that they needed this win.
Gossip: Van Hecke on Newcastle shortlist published at 07:47 28 April
Catch up on the Premier League actionpublished at 12:29 27 April
12:29 27 April
Mark Chapman presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, which saw Ipswich Town's relegation from the top-flight confirmed.
'We didn't stop believing'published at 20:43 26 April
20:43 26 April
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Brighton goalscorer Yasin Ayari has been speaking to BBC Radio Sussex following the important home win: "I had goose-bumps, it was an amazing feeling seeing the ball go into the net and celebrating with the fans at the end. It was an amazing feeling.
"I think we deserved the three points but it wasn't our best game to be fair. We can play much better. I think we dropped our intensity when I scored my first goal and they then came into the game and started to create some chances.
"In the end, I think we showed a good winning mentality. We didn't stop believing today.
"The winning mentality we have in this team, amongst this group of lads, is unbelievable. I'm grateful to have them as teammates. Everyone is training hard and staying humble, and for sure it paid off."
On scoring his first goal for the club: "I'm so happy about it. I can't describe it really, it's amazing."
On getting back into the starting XI: "I think I've been playing a lot. I think I'm deserving it. I show every time that I deserve to play, and today I scored my first goal so I'm happy."
'You always have to believe and trust your ability'published at 18:15 26 April
18:15 26 April
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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to Sky Sports about his side grabbing the last-minute winner at Amex Stadium: "I didn't enjoy it because shortly before the end we were 2-2 and we wanted to win the game.
"But the moment when we scored, that was unbelievable. You saw the reaction from the players, the crowd, the staff and the fans. We really wanted to win so this was a special moment.
"You always have to believe and trust your ability - and that is what the guys did today. They had setbacks but they reacted in the right way. They stayed together, especially the way skipper Lewis [Dunk] led the team was impressive."
Brighton stem poor run with defiant comebackpublished at 18:00 26 April
18:00 26 April
Joe Nelson BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Going into Saturday's game against West Ham, Brighton had not won in the Premier League since beating Fulham at the start of March.
Fabian Hurzeler's side have struggled with consistency this term, having gone unbeaten in their first nine.
These fluctuating performances mean the Seagulls have dropped out of Champions League and Europa League contention, but against West Ham they got back to winning ways.
After Yasin Ayari's early stunner was overturned by second-half efforts from Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek, Hurzeler's team could have felt sorry for themselves and settled for another defeat but they didn't.
They piled on the pressure before Kaoru Mitoma's header and Carlos Baleba's fine strike took them from defeat to victory in a matter of three late minutes.
The jubilant celebrations at the Amex Stadium demonstrated that Brighton believe they still have plenty to play for this season.
Brighton 3-2 West Ham: Key statspublished at 17:34 26 April
17:34 26 April
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Only in 2022-23 (62) and 1981-82 (52) have Brighton earned more points in a top-flight season than their 51 points this term.
Six of Kaoru Mitoma's nine Premier League goals for Brighton this season have come in 2025, netting as a substitute in each of his past two appearances.
'We have shown great character after a tough run'published at 17:12 26 April
17:12 26 April
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton captain Lewis Dunk has been speaking to Sky Sports following the win: "That was good fun. We started excellently but, once we went 1-0 up, we stopped playing and the intensity dropped.
"In the second half, they started better but we showed character to win the game.
"I'm just buzzing. We have shown great character after a tough run. It is massive to keep us in the race to where we want to go."
On Carlos Baleba's goal: "We have worked on tactics around needing a goal in the last minute, but that wasn't a tactic. But he put it in the top corner so the gaffer can't say anything."
Sutton's predictions: Brighton v West Hampublished at 11:16 26 April
11:16 26 April
Both of these teams are badly in need of a win - Brighton have gone five games without a victory, while West Ham are on a run of six.
There are a lot of unhappy Hammers fans at the moment, especially after they could only draw with Southampton last week.
That is not the kind of result that wins fans over, and seeing Graham Potter take Jarrod Bowen off with the score at 1-0 did not help.
Potter has picked up fewer points per game since taking charge than his predecessor, Julen Lopetegui, and I don't see much changing for him on his return to the Amex, where he had a much happier time.
Brighton have issues too - their form has fallen off a cliff of late and their supporters are not pleased with the way they are finishing the season either.
They have still had a decent campaign, but they have become leaky at the back and they could do with a positive result or two if they are going to stay in with a chance of making it into Europe.
Hurzeler on Van Hecke, Pedro red card and 'model' commentpublished at 10:36 25 April
10:36 25 April
Sean Byrne BBC Sport journalist
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham at Amex Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On Jan Paul van Hecke's availability after being stretchered off against Brentford: "No, not available. Everyone saw the foul, it was a tough one. We have to be careful with his health. We can't risk him."
On when Van Hecke can be expected back: "If we follow all the protocols, he will be back next week."
Joel Veltman "will be an option" for Saturday after a foot injury has left him on the sidelines since February.
On Joao Pedro being unavailable after his red card against Brentford: "Very frustrating. I said after the game, he immediately apologised. He knew he did something wrong. We had a discussion with him and we said we don't accept stuff like this."
He adds Pedro is a "young player who makes mistakes", adding: "Hopefully he learns from this in the future."
On reports he had ambitions to be a model before his managerial career: "I don't want to be one [a model]. It was more to identify myself with the city. I'm not just here as a coach, I'm here to integrate into the city. It's key if you really want to build a connection to the people and to the city."
Brighton v West Ham: Did you know?published at 09:54 25 April
09:54 25 April
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Brighton's Danny Welbeck is looking to score 10 goals in a Premier League season for the first time (currently nine). As it stands, he is the highest scorer in the competition never to reach double figures in a single campaign (76 goals).
He's scored more goals against West Ham than any other opponent in the top flight (six).
Image source, Getty Images
