Erik ten Hag must avoid history repeating itself when Manchester United play Brighton

Brighton & Hove Albion have defeated Manchester United 7-1 on aggregate across the last four meetings between the two sides.

Around 25 years ago, Brighton were on the brink of oblivion and facing relegation from the Football League, while at the same time in Manchester, Sir Alex Ferguson had built a formidable team at Old Trafford that was dominating English football.

“People go to Brighton for various reasons,” the great Brian Clough once wrote in his autobiography. “For a holiday, for a day trip, for a place to retire, for a Tory Party conference. With all due respect to the club and its fans, you don’t go there for the football."

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Clough said Brighton were not a 'big-time club' and they were 'never likely' to be, but with Roberto De Zerbi in charge, someone who built on the foundations that Graham Potter installed, the Seagulls are now playing European football.

Although Brighton are not still considered a 'big club' by any stretch, they punch above their weight and they deserve their place in the Europa League this season following an excellent campaign in which they finished sixth.

Brighton did a league double over United for the first time in history last term. They won 2-0 at Old Trafford on the opening day of the 2022/23 season and they won 1-0 at the Amex in May with a 99th-minute penalty winner.

That opening day felt disastrous at the time, but with the benefit of hindsight, it was always likely to happen. The team was at an embryonic stage and the starting line-up would look completely different on the final day of the season.

Harry Maguire, Fred and Scott McTominay started the game, while Christian Eriksen played as a false nine