Brighton finally getting the respect they deserve after second straight away win has Seagulls flying in top half

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Brighton and Hove Albion are a top-half team.

Not a sentence you thought you would read almost a third of the way through the season, but Chris Hughton’s brilliant side are in the Premier League’s top 10 — and believe it is where they belong.

Four games without defeat, two away wins in a row, disciplined defending and renewed confidence in attack have the Seagulls flying.

Brighton have gone four games without defeat following the 1-0 win away at Swansea

‘We’re there because we have the quality to be there,’ winger Anthony Knockaert told Sportsmail.

‘If we keep going maybe the other teams will give us more respect. Maybe they didn’t give us that in the first few games.’ Hughton has bred a side who have absolute faith in their ability to mix it at the highest level. Saturday’s win at Swansea City marked their first back-to-back top-flight away wins since 1981.

Perhaps the likes of the Swans can use the ‘lack of respect’ angle as an excuse in hindsight but Brighton were certainly the better side at the Liberty Stadium.

Player of the month nominee Glenn Murray’s 29th-minute winner was fortuitous, coming off his thigh from Knockaert’s cross, but well deserved in a display that combined quality with an ability to scrap.

Glenn Murray scored only goal of the game when Anthony Knockaert's cross came off his knee

‘We adapt our game quite easily,’ captain Bruno said of the secret of Brighton’ s success. ‘If we have to defend, we’re happy defending, long balls, whatever.

‘I think this game was a clear example. We tried to play our football but when we have to defend we defend as well as we can.

‘We work two days a week thinking about the opponent. We know the training is going that way, and it’s working.’ Knockaert adds: ‘We are a difficult team to play against now and teams, when they play against us, maybe they think that it will be an easy game but everyone can see now we’re a difficult team to beat.’ 

Brighton have little experience of anything other than being in the league’s upper echelons. They were Championship contenders two years running and have no intention of being consigned to the bottom half now they are in the Premier League.

Hughton, typically modest, is calling for realism. 

Chris Hughton has called for realism after his side's impressive start to life in the top flight

‘We're delighted to be where we are, but as quickly as things have gone well so far, they can soon go the other way,’ he said.

‘We're getting results now due to the levels we're playing at. Anything short of that level means we can get beat quite comfortably.

‘It's just about now, the next game, and trying to win as many matches as we can.’ Back at Swansea, the mood is miserable. Paul Clement’s side fell into the relegation zone in a game played out under unrest among the supporters.

As well as protests against chairman Huw Jenkins, there were also boos for Sam Clucas and Tom Carroll.

But centre back Federico Fernandez urged the fans to blame every player, not just a select few.

‘It’s not about one, two, three, four players. It’s about everyone,’ he said. ‘You can do a bad game but it’s about the whole team, not just a player.’ ends 

Sam Clucas (left) was booked and booed during Swansea's loss at the Liberty Stadium