Brighton must stifle Man United’s rhythm: Hughton

Brighton and Hove Albion must work hard to spoil Manchester United’s momentum in tomorrow’s Premier League match and get a crucial win to secure their top-flight status for next season, the hosts’ manager Chris Hughton has said.Brighton have lost three and drawn as many of their last six league matches to drop to 14th in the standings on 37 points. Despite being five points clear of the relegation zone, the Seagulls are not yet completely safe.United have narrowly beaten Brighton in the league and FA Cup earlier this season but Hughton is confident his side can get a better result at the Amex Stadium. “You have to go into every game thinking you can get a result — we’ll be buoyed by our previous matches but United are in a good rhythm — these are the challenges we’ve worked so hard for,” Hughton told a news conference yesterday.“We have to be good on the ball and cause them problems — for any side that has their quality you know they’ll be offensive and you know at times they’ll take chances going forward. We have an opportunity on Friday to do ourselves a big favour... if we can perform as well as we did against them on the previous two occasions then we give ourselves a chance.”Brighton could still get dragged into trouble in the closing stages as they travel to champions Manchester City and third-placed Liverpool in their final two matches of the season. However, Hughton said he was content with Brighton’s overall campaign as the club have the chance to secure a mid-table finish in their first season in the Premier League. Brighton’s squad is fully fit for the United clash with the exception of midfielder Steve Sidwell, who has missed the entire season with a back injury.Lanzini return can boost West Ham’s survival bid: ZabaletaWest Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini’s return to form can propel the club towards securing their Premier League spot for next season, teammate Pablo Zabaleta has said. Argentina international Lanzini has been battling a persistent knee injury and played over an hour for the first time since March in last weekend’s 4-1 defeat by league champions Manchester City.The 25-year-old also notched an assist as a second-half substitute in the defeat by Arsenal earlier this month and Zabaleta believes his compatriot’s gradual resurgence can help West Ham stay out of the relegation battle.“Manuel is one of the most creative players in our team. He’s not had a good time in terms of injuries, but to have Manu back in the team is good news, so hopefully he can help us get some points in the next games,” the 33-year-old defender said. The defeat by City left West Ham in danger of being dragged into the relegation battle as they sit 15th in the league, three points and positions above 18th-placed Southampton with as many matches left in the campaign. “Yes, Sunday’s result wasn’t good, but we have to forget that game, be positive and move into the next game thinking we can get the three points,” Zabaleta said.“One more win, or four points, could be enough to be safe 100%. We cannot wait on Swansea (City), Southampton or Stoke (City) to keep dropping points. We have to think about West Ham and getting three points.”The London outfit will be aiming for just their third away win in the league when they travel to ninth-placed Leicester City on Saturday.