West Ham 1-1 Brighton: Hammers snatch a vital point to steady the ship after Mohammed Kudus clawed back the equaliser against battling Seagulls

If the hope was that Niclas Fullkrug would be the man to save West Ham’s season and, ultimately, Julen Lopetegui’s job, then those in claret and blue will need to make a few more Christmas wishes before that happens. Thankfully, they have someone called Jarrod Bowen at the heart of their play.

It was their captain, as it so often is, who helped the Hammers claw something back from this topsy-turvy contest after they had gone behind to a goal from Brighton’s Mats Wieffer, forcing a save that was turned in by Mohammed Kudus to earn a point at the London Stadium.

The £27million summer signing Fullkrug made his first Premier League start after missing three months through injury and that he is not yet up to full speed would be the kindest explanation for his stumbling full debut.

The 31-year-old German struggled to have any impact, gave away three fouls in the first half in which he touched the ball 13 times and on eight occasions gave it away. At one point he lost the ball, won it back, and then tried a 30-yard Hollywood cross-field pass to no one and then threw his arms up in frustration when he wondered why no one got anywhere near it.

It was no surprise that Fullkrug made way just before the hour and West Ham found their equaliser a minute later after Bowen had moved into the middle.

For Brighton, it’s a fifth game without a win and a third time Fabian Hurzeler’s side have taken the lead but failed to see out the game.

Summer signing Niclas Fullkrug looked far from the striker who might save his manager’s job

Julen Lopetegui is now unbeaten in two but the Spanish manager remains under pressure

A brass band played the Christmas hits before kick-off and, boy, it didn’t take long watching these two teams try to kick a ball around to wish they would come back out for a second session.

No action, no atmosphere, no quality. Watching it made your eyes glaze over and put you in the same kind of dazed stupor you feel after finishing off your Christmas dinner, just without any of the joy or potatoes.

As always, it was Bowen through whom nearly all of West Ham’s good play came. He got ahead of Pervis Estupinian early on, as he did throughout, to force a good save from Bart Verbruggen.

Fullkrug was not alone, though. Lucas Paqueta blazed over from inside the box from an Emerson pullback from which he should have done better and Estupinian summed up one of the worst first halfs in living memory when Brighton broke away on the verge of the break, Kaoru Mitoma played in Estupinian who slipped and fell over just as he was about to take aim.

Thankfully, it took the second half just minutes to bring the game to life.

Lukasz Fabianksi has been one of West Ham’s standout performers recently, especially his heroics in West Ham’s draw at Bournemouth on Monday night, but the 39-year-old came flapping at a floating ball from the left and, under pressure from Lewis Dunk, palmed it into the path of Mats Wieffer who made no mistake.

West Ham thought it should be ruled out for a foul on Fabianski, VAR instead checked for offside against Dunk and, eventually, it was given.

But after going ahead, the visitors were unable to hold onto their lead in yet another match

Jan Paul van Hecke was patched up on the pitch after catching himself on the studs of team-mate Carlos Balebe

Mohammed Kudus (left) helped West Ham secure a point at home after falling behind Brighton

Lukasz Fabianski has been a stalwart for Lopetegui but was at fault for wild attempts at shot-stopping for Brighton’s opener

Fabian Hurzeler must take a serious look at his side’s form after throwing away two points

The hosts have often crumbled after going behind this season but showed character to strike back. Tomas Soucek played in Bowen, now through the middle after Fullkrug went off, who did brilliantly to weave a space to have a shot that forced a parry from Verbruggen and Mohammed Kudus was on hand to nod in the rebound.

Fabianski looked to make amends for his error and pulled off a fine sharp save to deny Gruda from inside the area. He was helpless, though, when Yankuba Minteh drove down the right, fizzed a ball cross-shot from a tight angle that hit Mitoma and the post, rebounded across the face of goal but somehow didn’t end up in the net.

Edson Alvarez forced a save from Verbruggen. Evan Ferguson failed to get on to the end of a teasing cross. Yasin Ayari was unable to beat Fabianski from close range. Aaron Wan-Bissaka put his body on the line to head away danger on the line.

This once tedious spectacle ended with a frantic finish.