Hughton: Our Tempo Was Key

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton highlighted the relentless pressure his players applied on Manchester United during their 3-2 victory at the Amex Stadium, as the Seagulls claimed their first Premier League points of the season.

First-half goals from Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Pascal Gross were enough to seal all three points, and the Albion boss was delighted with the work rate his players showed on the south coast.

He said, “I thought the tempo of our game, and the reaction from last week, was very good. Right from the start, we always had an outlet.

“At any stage of the season, to score three goals against one of the top six, is always a very difficult feat.

“The group were that disappointed with the overall performance at Watford, and irrespective of the game being against Manchester United, they were keen to put on a show and readdress that balance.

“Sometimes you do that and things go your way, but sometimes they don’t. We forced things to go our way today, by a very good performance that deserved the win.”

Albion’s victory was their second over the Red Devils at the Amex this year, and Hughton commented on his team’s fast-paced opening, before praising Murray and his team-mates.

“We got confidence from a good start and the first goal gave us a massive lift. That carried us through to the end of the game.

“On days like this you generally don’t like to single out players, as I thought the team performance was excellent, but you need somebody to lead the line and get rid of the pressure.

“Manchester United were particularly more direct later in the game and we needed an outlet - Glenn was very good for us today.”

The Seagulls produced a fantastic reaction after their opening-day defeat to Watford, but Hughton stressed the importance of remaining realistic throughout their second Premier League campaign.

“The result shifts the mood but it doesn’t change anything for the season ahead - it’s going to be a tough season.

“The teams that have come up are all very capable of winning games and getting points. This division has got as competitive as ever.

“If we think it’s going to be the same or easier than last season, then it’s not going to be.

“We have to make sure that if our level of performance can’t be at this level, then it needs to be at least somewhere near it, to enable us to get points.”