Maupay's overhead kick earns Brighton 1-1 draw at West Ham

LONDON -- — Neal Maupay scored with an overhead kick in the 89th minute to give Brighton a 1-1 draw at West Ham in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Maupay converted his acrobatic finish from a cross by substitute Tariq Lamptey to leave West Ham waiting for a first Premier League win over the Brighton in nine attempts.

“On Saturday I was the worst striker in the Premier League, now I’m not," said Maupay, who was jeered by some of Brighton's fans after being substituted in the 0-0 draw against Leeds last weekend.

“I don’t pay attention (to criticism) anymore. It’s football and some football fans criticize if you are Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. And I’m only Neal Maupay."

The Hammers looked to have finally beaten their bogey team after taking the lead through Tomas Soucek’s fifth-minute header, which he glanced in at the near post from Pablo Fornals' corner.

West Ham stayed in fourth place but hasn't won any of its three league games since ending Liverpool's unbeaten start to the campaign with a 3-2 win on Nov. 7. Title contender Chelsea visits on Saturday, too.

West Ham striker Michail Antonio had a goal disallowed in the second half, when the score was 1-0, for offside following a goalmouth scramble that ended with the ball glancing in off his leg.

“We were disappointed (with the late goal) but probably a draw was a fair result," West Ham manager David Moyes said. “Brighton played well but we did half miss some opportunities on a night when the decisions didn’t go for us.”

Brighton's winless run stretched to nine games — seven of which have been draws.

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