Georginio Rutter has admitted he was ‘scared’ that VAR would disallow his last-gasp equaliser in Brighton’s 1-1 draw with West Ham at the Amex Stadium.
Rutter’s first goal of the Premier League season earned the Seagulls a point on Sunday, after Jarrod Bowen had fired West Ham ahead.
Brighton faced a nervous wait to see if their 91st-minute equaliser would stand, however, after the ball struck Rutter’s arm in the build-up.
The Frenchman’s first effort was saved, before the ball was played back to him to score at the second attempt. Despite the accidental handball in the build-up, VAR ruled the goal should stand, given Rutter did not score from the initial effort.
Speaking to Sky Sports at full-time, the Brighton forward admitted he was ‘confused and scared’ about VAR cancelling his game-changing moment.
“It feels amazing for the first goal for the season. I am very happy but we only take one point so that is frustrating.
“I think West Ham are very good and they are very compact. We were waiting for them to make a mistake. We didn’t score in the first-half and we have a lot of chances but we scored in the end.
Georginio Rutter has equalised for Brighton in the 91st minute 🤯 pic.twitter.com/c9aj8sSIYq
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 7, 2025
“We are a good group, so we have to keep going.
“At the goal I was confused and scared about the VAR. Normally I am too far away from the box, so I have been training and it’s paid off today.”
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