Club news

Hughton: Positive Start Was Pleasing

By Kieran Cleeves • 01 October 2018

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton was pleased with the quicker start his team made to the game at the Etihad Stadium, but highlighted the inevitable quality that Manchester City produced on Saturday afternoon.

Despite a battling display from the Seagulls, the reigning Premier League champions found the goals needed to secure maximum points, and Hughton commented on City’s ability to impose themselves throughout the contest.

He said, “I was really pleased with how we started and it was really positive, but people don’t realise how difficult it is to come here with what they’ve got.

“The two Silvas, [David and Bernardo] can receive the ball in any space, no matter how tight, and with the pace of the two wide players [Sterling and Sane], our wide players had a really difficult afternoon.

“The course of game wasn’t too different to how I thought it would be, they had a lot of possession and it was always going to be about how we could defend against it and break from it.”

Albion continue their search for a first Premier League away victory of the season, but Hughton put matters into perspective, with the Seagulls sitting 15th in the Premier League heading into West Ham United’s visit next Friday.

“It doesn’t feel like any issue [away form] because I look at last season, where we managed to get enough points at home, and there’s the balance.

“We were very strong at home last season and not great away from home. For a team just starting their second season in this division, something has to give.

“Otherwise, if we’re decent away from home and also decent at home, we’re probably somewhere in that top six.

“Mentally, it’s not something we think about. Our approach is exactly the same, but of course it’s slightly different when we come into these types of games.”