Chris Hughton Praises 'Excellent' Brighton Performance After Beating Manchester United

Brighton manager Chris Hughton has heaped praise onto his team after beating  Manchester United 3-2 on Sunday in the Premier League.

After losing their opening game to Watford last week, the Seagulls responded quickly to get points on the board, getting the better of the Red Devils at home for the second consecutive season.  Glenn Murray and Shane Duffy netted quickly to give Brighton a two-goal lead, with Pascal Gross scoring from the spot to clinch victory. 

Speaking with Sky Sports after the game, Hughton 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 is against Manchester United, they were keen to put on a show and readdress that balance." 

When asked specifically about striker Glenn Murray, Hughton credited his frontman saying: "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. 

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“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.” 

Although the result will create a buzz around the Amex Stadium, Hughton is still keeping realistic expectations for his team. The Brighton boss said: "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." 

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Brighton travel to Anfield for a difficult test against Liverpool on Saturday evening; a fixture in which they lost 4-0 on the final day of last season.