Brighton's Pascal Gross has admitted that the Seagulls knew exactly how Manchester United were going to approach Sunday's Premier League opener at Old Trafford.
Gross, so often a thorn in United's side, netted a first-half double to set Graham Potter's side on their way to a 2-1 opening day victory, condemning new Reds manager Erik ten Hag to defeat in his first competitive game in charge. Brighton were by far the superior side and displayed all the characteristics of a well-drilled side.
The start of the new season and a new era at Old Trafford meant that United and their supporters entered the contest in a buoyant mood, confident of making a winning start. But similarly to their trip to the Amex three months earlier, United had next to no answers for the threat posed by the south coast club.
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United manager Ten Hag has outlined his demands as he looks to play on the front foot, meaning he wants his side to dictate possession. However, they struggled to do exactly that, losing the midfield battle.
And Gross, who has now scored six goals against United during his career, has admitted that he and his teammates only had to adapt their approach slightly to scoop maximum points.
"You try to test all of the team, really," Gross told Sky Sports. "They were at home the first game of the season and we thought that they would want to push, want to put us under pressure.
"So you need to adapt a little bit to that and we played the game how it made sense on the day."
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