Manchester United have two players who could be like new signings vs Brighton

After several weeks of talking, Manchester United will get the chance to write the first chapter of the Erik ten Hag era when they welcome Brighton to Old Trafford this afternoon.

United, who were brushed aside by the Seagulls in their most recent meeting, losing 4-0 at the Amex Stadium back in May, will be determined to get their 2022/23 Premier League campaign off to a winning start and put a much-craved smile back on the supporters' faces. Pre-season, despite a lot of the attention focusing on a lack of new signings, was encouraging for the Reds, even if they failed to win any of their last three friendlies.

Ten Hag saw his side register three wins, two draws and one defeat from their six warm-up matches, with the three victories producing plenty of evidence to suggest that the players have bought into what Ten Hag wants from them. Although you never want to get too high after wins in pre-season, United's successes over Liverpool (4-0), Melbourne Victory (4-1) and Crystal Palace (3-1) produced plenty of encouragement, not just for Ten Hag but also the fans.

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United were slick in their play, piled bodies into the opposition penalty area and, above all else, played with an identity again - something that has been severely lacking in recent years. It remains very early days, but green shoots of recovery, in Ten Hag's quest to bring the good times back to M16, have already started to surface, even if only slightly.

While United's collective performances on the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia were encouraging enough, there were also several individual showings that caught the eye of those watching closely. Among those to impress most were Diogo Dalot