Chris Hughton has urged his Albion players to show no fear against Manchester United at Old Trafford tomorrow.

He wants them to continue the form which has taken them to ninth in the Premier League table on the back of a five-match unbeaten run.

The Seagulls are huge underdogs to upset Jose Mourinho’s United, the closest challengers to Manchester City at the top.

Hughton said: “I think the pressure is off because of expectations.

“I am being realistic when I say the large majority of people in football would not expect us to get a result.

“That in some ways is not a bad starting position, because it takes the pressure off the team.

“We know that anything we can get will be a bonus, but we are going there in good form and we have been a good team so far this season.

“What is important is that you stay in the game, because these are the type of games that, if you don’t, you can be beaten big.

“So far we have fared well this season and we will have to play at a good enough level to do so again.

“You can’t go there with fear because if you do it’s inevitable what will happen. You have to go there with a belief and confidence that you can get something.

“Nobody expects us to get a win, but at some stages teams go to the top six and surprise everybody. More important for me is the performance and that the team goes there with a the confidence that we are in a decent place at the moment.”

Hughton regards United, with Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic back from injury, as the main dangers to City for the title.

City do not play until Sunday at Huddersfield, so a seventh straight home win in the Premier League this season for United would trim the gap to five points.

Hughton said: “Without being detrimental to those other teams in the top six, I think most people see the two Manchester teams as the strongest at this moment. Both clubs have recruited very well and have big, star players.

“Certainly with Ibrahimovic and Pogba it’s a massive boost to have them back.”