Albion boss Chris Hughton has revealed his tactical blueprint for the Premier League.

He will not be copying Antonio Conte or Arsene Wenger.

But he will slightly modify the 4-4-2 system which has served the Seagulls so well in the Championship.

Conte has guided Chelsea to the title after responding to a heavy defeat at Arsenal early on in the season by switching to a three at the back.

Wenger's recent change to three centre-halves and wing-backs has also coincided with an upturn in results for the Gunners.

Hughton has no plans to follow suit when the Seagulls launch their first season in the top flight for 34 years in August - although he has not totally ruled out the possibility of using the formation at some stage.

He told The Argus: "At this moment, no. As a manager and coach you are always looking to develop. Up to now I have not used a three.

"You always have to be open-minded and I can absolutely see the value of the system.

"When you play a three at the back there are, for me, two reasons why you play it. One is to give yourself occasionally five at the back, which means you can be defensively solid.

"What that system also does, depending on how you play it, is allow you to do what you want up front.

"Some will play 3-5-2 but the way Chelsea do it is very much 3-4-3.

"It allows you to play two strikers and to be solid at the back or in Chelsea's case - and nobody does it better - it allows them to have Hazard and Pedro or Willian (below) in really offensive positions.

The Argus: "I wouldn't ignore it. I think you have to be open-minded, particularly in the Premier League."

Hughton will not stick to a 4-4-2 formation as much as he has in the Championship.

"I think it's still plausible," he said. "Burnley have played it for the majority of the season but they have also played 4-3-3.

"I think it's difficult to go through a season playing 4-4-2, particularly as a new club.

"Leicester play it generally but they are more established. I would see myself at times playing it but also very much a 4-4-1-1."

That means a number ten is near the top of Hughton's summer transfer wish list as Albion try to emulate some of the sides promoted in recent years from the Championship.

Hughton said: "We speak about Burnley and Bournemouth, because they are recent. But you've only got to look at Crystal Palace, Watford, Leicester a few years ago, and going back further Stoke and West Brom.

"They have toughed out difficult times to become mainstays in the division and that's the challenge."

Hughton's strategy will also change in the Premier League from the 46-game Championship.

Four teams fewer means eight fewer fixtures - but for Albion it will be more of a 26 than 38-match season.

The top six are between 24 and 45 points above West Brom in eighth.

Hull have gone down but they are only seven points adrift of Palace and Stoke in 13th and 14th.

Hughton said: "There is no doubt that for any team going from the Championship to the Premier League, you have got to win the games around you, against teams that are recently promoted.

"You know wins against (Manchester) United and Arsenal and Chelsea are very difficult to come by.

"It doesn't mean you can't deal with them but the law of averages say the way you are going to stay in the Premier League is by winning the games against the teams that are around you."

Reality will really hit home in mid-June, when the fixtures are out, and at the end of June when the players report back for pre-season.

There is still the retained list to be announced later this month and the player recruitment process never stops but Hughton is looking forward to a couple of well-earned family holidays.

"I'll get a break," he said. "It is important and I never mind admitting I need a break. It's a long, hard season in the Championship, a lot of games that are full on.

"I look forward to a nice break and coming back refreshed.

"I'm really excited for everybody at the club about next season."