Knockaert: Result Gives Us Confidence For Liverpool

Brighton & Hove Albion winger Anthony Knockaert was delighted to produce an impressive performance against Manchester United earlier today, and believes the result will give the team confidence ahead of next weekend’s trip to Liverpool.

The Frenchman worked tirelessly against Jose Mourinho’s side, as the Seagulls claimed a 3-2 victory, and praised his team-mates for delivering a positive display at the Amex Stadium.

He said, “It was a great day for us. We were ready for it, especially after the bad performance against Watford. We played on the front foot and tried our best to get something from the game.

“We produced exactly the same performance as last season - we showed determination to win the football game.

“We fully deserved it - it’s a great three points to get just before going to Liverpool next weekend.

“With the performance we showed today, we’ll want to replicate that against Liverpool. It will be another tough game and we’ll see what happens.”

“It gives us confidence going to Anfield, but we know they’re a strong team. They’ve got some great players but hopefully we can get something.”

The 26-year-old lined up on the right wing with new signing Martin Montoya, and he praised the former Valencia full-back for his early input, before admitting his delight towards his own display.

“I felt really good and think I did pretty well today. I tried to help my team-mates, as defensively it wasn’t easy against a team like Manchester United.

“Luke Shaw is a really offensive player, so I tried to help Monty [Montoya] as much as I could, and it worked.

“Monty is an experienced player and he’s played at a high level with players like [Lionel] Messi. He knows what he’s doing and you could see today that he’s a really good player.

“I’m buzzing about my performance, but more so the team’s performance. It’s a great day for us and now we have to work hard for the next few fixtures.”

Record signing Alireza Jahanbakhsh had to settle for a place on the bench against United, and Knockaert insists the competition for places is something he relishes, before looking ahead to the rest of the season.

“I like the competition, it’s part of football and it’s good for me to have that. It helps me raise my level and that’s what I showed today.

“Every position has at least two players, and that’s important for the team. It’s important if we’re going to keep moving forward.

“We’ll stay humble, as we have to remember where we’ve come from. Even if we finish 17th this season, it will be a good season.

“There are a lot of games to play and we’ll see what happens. If we keep playing like this at home, and improve away from home, it will be a good season for us.”