A Mats finish but Albion are held

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West Ham United 1, Albion 1: Points shared at the London Stadium after Mohammed Kudus cancels out Wieffer's opener.

Bruce Talbot

2024-12-21T17:00+00:00

Mats Wieffer lifts up Georginio Rutter after scoring his first Premier League goal. 📷 by James Boardman.

Albion remain unbeaten in Premier League games at the London Stadium after Mats Wieffer’s goal earned them a deserved point against West Ham United.

After a dull first half Wieffer had 3,000 Albion fans dreaming of a blue and white Christmas when he scored his first Premier League goal after 51 minutes.

Albion were pegged back six minutes later by Mohammed Kudus’s close-range header before Kaoru Mitoma wasted a great chance when he hit the inside of the post from two yards out with ten minutes to go.

Bart Verbruggen stands tall and makes a block to deny Jarrod Bowen. 📷 by James Boardman.

Lucasz Fabianski was the busier keeper and Fabian Hurzeler will feel Albion did enough to take three points. A third draw in the last five leaves Albion ninth with Brentford at the Amex to come on Friday.

A first Premier League start for Brajan Gruda was one of three changes with Joel Veltman back after missing four games through injury and Wieffer coming into the midfield.

West Ham had threatened first in the ninth minute when Jarrod Bowen broke down the right and got past Pervis Estupinan. He was almost on the line when he tried to clip a left-foot shot past Bart Verbruggen which the Albion keeper blocked.

Albion wasted one free kick on the corner of the box but in the 19th minute they got another 30 yards out. Gruda lifted it to an unmarked Lewis Dunk who steered it across the face of goal but just behind two teammates. Three minutes later, at the end of a patient build-up, but Fabianski blocked Mitoma’s volley from Joao’s clever chip.

Lewis Dunk beat Lukasz Fabianski to the ball to tee up Mats Wieffer, who opened the scoring. 📷 by James Boardman.

Jan Paul van Hecke needed treatment when he got a boot to the forehead from Niclas Fullkrug as he cleared the corner. The German’s pull-back found Lucas Paqueta unmarked on the edge of the box, but his shot landed 15 rows back in the Trevor Brooking Stand. It summed up a disappointing and disjointed first half.

If ever a game needed a goal it was this and six minutes after the break Albion had it. Dunk challenged Fabianski to Estupinan's cross and the loose ball was coolly side-footed into the bottom corner by Wieffer. A VAR check ruled Dunk had been onside when he went for the ball. It was Wieffer’s last involvement – a few moments later Yasin Ayari replaced him.

A brilliant moment in front of the Albion supporters. 📷 by James Boardman.

Albion’s lead lasted six minutes. Van Hecke’s pass in the centre circle was intercepted by Tomas Soucek, who sent Bowen away. His powerful left-foot shot was parried by Verbruggen, and Kudus reacted quickest to head the ball into the empty net.

Fabianski did well to save Ayari’s side-footed strike from ten yards out after good work by Joao and Estupinan before Hurzeler made a triple change, bringing on Tariq Lamptey, Yankuba Minteh and Julio Enciso.

Could either side find a winner? Albion looked more likely to although Dunk needed Dunk to make a great block on Crysencio Summerville’s shot after the former Leeds’ winger had dispossessed van Hecke. With ten minutes to go Minteh did brilliantly on the right and funnelled the ball across the face of goal. Mitoma guided it towards an empty goal and Albion fans were celebrating until they realised it had somehow come back off the inside of the post.

There was a VAR check after Mats scored, but Lewis Dunk was deemed onside in the build-up. 📷 by James Boardman.

Both sides pushed for a late winner. Verbruggen stretched to his left to push away Edson Alvarez’s shot which was heading for the top corner then substitute Evan Ferguson flung himself at crosses from Estupinan and Minteh but failed to make contact. In stoppage time Fabianski made a fine save to keep out Ayari’s drive and Aaron Wan-Bissaka bravely prevented Lamptey from converting Enciso’s cross on the line.

Albion: Verbruggen, Veltman (Lamptey 67), van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan, Baleba, Wieffer (Ayari 57), Gruda (Minteh 67), Mitoma (Ferguson 85), Rutter (Enciso 67), Joao Pedro.