West Ham were looking to end a three-game losing streak as they returned home to Dagenham to host Brighton. The fifth-placed Seagulls themselves having been having a tough time of it in 2025 and arrived in East London without a league victory to speak of since the reverse encounter back in November.

Manager Rehanne Skinner made one change to the side that had performed bravely in their 2-0 loss to Chelsea in the league cup semi-final. With Li Mengwen unable to play against her parent club, Kirsty Smith came in at right back. Shekiera Martinez retained her spot in a dynamic front three while Amber Tysiak remained missing through suspension.

Dario Vidošić meanwhile made two changes to the defensive setup that had lost to Aston Villa the previous week. Caitlin Hayes was handed a first start for her new club – a Barclays WSL debut – while Kiko Seike made her return from injury. Maria Thorisdóttir was absent while Jorelyn Carabalí dropped to the bench.

The hosts started brightly, pressing a creaking Brighton backline from the off, in a high intensity first half. Both teams tested the opposition goalkeepers with both Kinga Szemik and Melina Loeck making smart stops at either end. West Ham struck first when Martinez turned home a rebound. Their lead lasted just three minutes, however, when Nikita Parris levelled the score.

It was Skinner’s side who upped the intensity in the second half as Brighton’s challenge swiftly faded. Errors at the back have been common for Vidošić’s side this campaign and were ultimately what led to their downfall once again. Ueki struck to put the Hammers ahead before Asseyi converted from the spot after being brought down by Rachel McLauchlan.

The visitors tried to mount a response and the return of Fran Kirby for the first time since November helped but they could not find the all important equaliser to salvage a point. It was a victory that saw West Ham open up an eight-point gap over Crystal Palace at the bottom of the table, a gap that almost confirms their safety in the WSL.

You can’t hesitate for a moment when Riko Ueki is around. The Japan international is a driving force in West Ham’s attack and, not for the first time this season, she was the one who changed the course of this match. Her 64th minute goal changed the momentum of the game when she picked Vicky Losada’s pocket. Advancing into the box, she sent her low shot precisely past Melina Loeck to restore the hosts’ lead.

Kinga Szemik caught the eye with an scintillating performance between the sticks. The West Ham goalkeeper produced a brilliant instinctive save to stop Guro Bergsvand, a finger-tip stretch to deny Jelena Čanković and another big stop to keep out Kiko Seike. Her exploits played a key role in helping West Ham to an important three points.

I think the players have been superb today, and I think they stuck to the game plan really, really well. We created loads of opportunities. I would imagine this is our highest shots-per-game this season. I just thought the confidence in front of goal was superb, and we just played forward with a real purpose, much more than what we probably had before.

Kinga Szemik; Kirsty Smith, Eva Nyström, Shelina Zadorsky, Verena Hanshaw; Oona Siren, Katrina Gorry (c); Manuela Paví; Shekiera Martinez, Riko Ueki, Viviane Asseyi

Subs: Megan Walsh; Marika Bergman Lundin; Dagný Brynjarsdóttir; Emma Harries; Camila Sáez; Anouk Denton; Halle Houssein; Princess Ademiluyi; Seraina Piubel

Manager: Rehanne Skinner

Melina Loeck; Rachel McLauchlan, Caitlin Hayes, Guro Bergsvand, Poppy Pattinson; Nadine Noordam, Vicky Losada (c); Jelena Čanković; Kiko Seike, Nikita Parris, Madison Haley

Subs: Sophie Baggaley; Pauline Bremer; Fran Kirby; Jorelyn Carabalí; Marisa Olislagers; Bex Rayner; Dejana Stefanović; Michelle Agyemang

Manager: Dario Vidošić