Albion playmaker David Lopez hopes for a repeat performance on Teesside today.

But the man who set up two goals against Leicester last Saturday (see accompanying video) insists he never lost self-belief when his form dipped.

David told The Argus: "I haven’t lacked confidence but things just hadn’t been coming off for me.

"I don’t really know why. Players have good and not so good patches. I wasn’t having a good time and I was fully aware of that.

"I think I’m playing better and I hope to maintain that until the end of the season."

David was linked with a move to Boro in the summer after his chip secured the Seagulls' 2-0 success at the Riverside.

He said: "People told me about the rumours but I only really wanted to come back to Brighton."

What to expect from Karanka's team - read David's insight in The Argus today