Report and reaction as Albion beat West Ham

Midfielder's stoppage-time winner earns Albion a 3-2 victory over West Ham after Kaoru Mitoma equalised in the 89th minute.

Bruce Talbot

2025-04-26T17:00+01:00

Carlos Baleba has scored three Premier League goals so far this campaign. 📷 by Simon Roe.

Albion’s push for European football got a massive lift after two goals in the last four minutes floored West Ham in an unbelievable finale at the Amex.

A seventh game without a win looked on the cards when West Ham scored twice in the second half through Mohammed Kudus (48 mins) and Tomas Soucek (83) after Yasin Ayari had scored his first goal of the season in the 13th minute to give Albion a deserved lead.

Kaoru Mitoma makes it 2-2 with his tenth goal of the season. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

But in the final minute of normal time Kaoru Mitoma scored his tenth goal of the season with a close-range header and deep into added time Baleba, who'd had another fine game in the centre of defence alongside mn of the match Lewis Dunk, netted a stunning winner from 25 yards into the top corner.

Bedlam at the Amex as Albion moved up to ninth, level on points with Fulham.

It was a frenetic ending but back at kick-off the headline team news was a first start since Manchester City away in October 2023 – 553 days ago – for Solly March.

Albion took the lead with a superb strike by Ayari on 13 minutes. Jack Hinshelwood’s pass found the Swede 20 yards from goal and with West Ham slow to close him down he curled a sumptuous right-foot shot into the top corner.

Carlos Baleba is airborne after scoring his stunning stoppage-time winner. 📷 James Boardman

It was just the boost Albion needed and they knocked the ball around confidently for much of the first half. Mats Wieffer and Matt O’Riley both worked Alphonse Areola while at the other end Bart Verbruggen, who’d had nothing to do until the 31st minute, clawed away Soucek’s towering header in the Hammers’ best moment of the opening 45. Albion continued to look more threatening, though, and Simon Adingra fired past Areola after the keeper had denied Wieffer but the Dutchman was offside.

The North Stand is in raptures after Albion's late goals floored West Ham. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Albion were worth their half-time lead but three minutes after the restart West Ham levelled. They attacked Albion down the right and Aaron Wan-Bissaka played in Jarred Bowen. His cut-back found Kudus whose low shot from six yards went through Verbruggen’s legs.

Albion responded impressively. Areola made a fine save when Wieffer met O’Riley’s deep corner before Adingra’s shot took a deflection and flew over but the Hammers still offered a threat on the transition. Verbruggen kept out Wan Bissaka’s thunderbolt with his knees before the defender put Jarred Bowen’s cut back into the away end.

Lewis Dunk leads the celebrations after Carlos Baleba's late winner. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh came on for the last half hour and Albion began to get on top again and when the visitors could only clear a cross to the edge of their box Pervis Estupinan – who needs no encouragement to try his luck – struck a side-footed effort straight at Areola.

With seven minutes remaining West Ham went in front. Bowen was allowed time to measure a left-wing cross and Soucek rose unmarked to power a close-range header past the helpless Verbruggen.

But then Albion produced a comeback to savour. With a minute of normal time remaining Brajan Gruda was picked out by Estupinan on the right and he headed the ball back into the danger area where Mitoma was unmarked to nod it past Areola.

Sliding in: Yasin Ayari has just made it 1-0 to Albion. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

But there was more to come. Thirty seconds of stoppage time were left when Baleba found himself in space 25 yards out and with no opponent closing him down he stroked a left-foot shot into the top left-hand corner with Areola motionless. Cue bedlam – and Albion’s European dream had been revived in a scarcely believable finale.

The line-up

Verbruggen, Wieffer, Dunk, Baleba, Estupinan, Ayari, Hinshelwood (Gomez 82), March (Mitoma 62), Adingra (Minteh 62), O’Riley (Gruda 82), Welbeck. Subs not used: Steele, Lamptey, Cashin, Veltman, Tasker.

Referee: Darren England

Attendance: 31,499

Fabian Hurzeler's reaction

“Although there were some setbacks during the game, the players stayed very calm, they stayed together. They were very positive. So I'm really happy how we how we finished the game.

"I think we could give the fans something back and because they supported us. They support us in good times and therefore I'm very happy that they got what they deserved with a special finish of the game.

"For Carlos it was a special moment, a special goal. We know that he has an ability to score goals like this. And in terms of the substitutions we made I always try to make them with courage and everyone who came on had a great impact on the game, which is part of our togetherness.

"We have always had the trust in ourselves, in our ability. We have not had an easy period and during the game we had some setbacks.

We still see that there's potential to improve because we conceded two easy goals but we can now look forward to the next challenge which is Newcastle.”