GRAHAM POTTER admitted the better side won at Old Trafford.

United emerged 3-1 victors after Andreas Pereira put them ahead on 17 minutes with a shot which deflected off Dale Stephens and then two minutes later Scott McTominay's effort was touched in for an own goal by Davy Propper.

Marcus Rashford's sixth goal of the Premier League season wrapped up the win shortly after Lewis Dunk had reduced the arrears for the Seagulls in the 64th minute.

Albion's head coach said with the first answer of his post-match press conference that United deserved their win.

As is his way, he gave as much credit to the victors as criticism of his own side.

That happened in similar circumstances when they underwhelmed at Chelsea in a defeat which does not look as bad now as it felt then.

He said: “They were the better team, deserved to win.

“We tried but we didn’t play at the level we can play at.

“But I think we have got to credit the opposition as well for stopping us. It was a bit of both.

“Despite their dominance, we still had a moment at 2-1 where, if we can keep it at 2-1 for a little bit longer, maybe we can do something.

“But, in the end, the third goal kills it and we can’t say anything other than that’s the deserved outcome.”

As a follow-up, he was asked by The Argus whether, all that said, there was a sense in the changing room of Albion having failed to do themselves justice on a big stage.

He replied: “I don’t think we played well, to be honest. That is my feeling.

“Normally I would say so if I felt that.

“If you asked the players, I think they would say they didn’t play as well as they would have liked to.

“We have to look at that.

“But, again, there are always two teams on the pitch and I thought Manchester United did what they do well.

“And we did what we did not so well.”