Ex FIFA official issues strong reaction to ‘Reckless’ controversy in Brighton vs West Ham United

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West Ham and Brighton played out a 1-1 draw at the AmEx Stadium on Sunday in the Premier League.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side appeared to be heading for the three points after Jarrod Bowen put them in the lead in the 73rd minute.

However, Georginio Rutter scored a stoppage-time equaliser to level things up ahead of the full-time whistle.

Keith Hackett claims Brighton’s goal should not have stood

Rutter scored in a controversial manner to secure a point for the hosts on Sunday.

There was a clear high boot on Konstantinos Mavropanos from Jan Paul Van Hecke, who hit a bicycle kick in order to get the ball to the Brighton goal scorer.

Had Mavropanos fallen to the ground, there is a likelihood that the on-field referee would have blown his whistle.

However, he allowed play to go on and Rutter, despite assertions of intentionally handling the ball, ended up getting his name on the scoresheet.

Keith Hackett, a former FIFA official, did not speak to the handball incident, but believes that the referee got it wrong with regard to Van Hecke’s high boot.

He believes that the Brighton defender should have been given a yellow card, as it was reckless play.

Hackett wrote on X: “This action is reckless the boot is too close to the head of his opponent. We all like to see goals like that but this is a foul and yellow card.”

Did West Ham deserve the three points on Sunday?

While Brighton controlled most of the game and had the higher xG, the Hammers defended well and were compact and organised after taking the lead.

They did not need to keep the ball, but just preserve their lead, which they did until this contentious moment.

Anywhere else on the pitch, that is a foul and even with the benefit of technology, for the officials to arrive at that conclusion would certainly be a bitter pill to swallow for West Ham.

Nuno’s tactical plan appeared to have been paying dividends right until that moment and while one might argue his substitutions did not really affect the game, he certainly deserved to have been on the winning side.