Rival boss' wonderful admission about Sheffield United

Brighton and Hove Albion, a team which has been taught to cherish possession since Potter’s appointment nine months ago, spent most of the contest chasing the ball rather than working with it at their feet.

It was a scene which raised suspicions Albion, who following Neal Maupay’s equaliser would go on to secure a point, had abandoned their usual strategy and deliberately set-up to frustrate United.

But nothing, Potter insisted during the post-match press conference, could be further from the truth.

“I think sometimes you have to credit the opposition. It wasn’t that we didn’t want to play. We did.

“It's just that we weren’t allowed to do it. So you have to play to the qualities and the attributes that you do have.”

Potter’s admission that United had suffocated Albion’s attacking instincts and forced them to focus on defence came during a refreshingly open and honest assessment of Saturday afternoon’s events.

With Wilder’s men making a positive start, it was no surprise when Enda Stevens broke the deadlock with a superb finish; powering the ball into the roof of Mat Ryan’s net after a corner had been half-cleared. But Albion deserved credit too, demonstrating a resilience which should serve them well in their battle for survival by limiting United to precious few clear cut chances following Maupay’s header.

The result left United four points behind the Champions League places and Albion four above the relegation zone.

Maupay featured among Wilder’s list of close season targets after guiding his side out of the Championship last term, with the Frenchman eventually preferring a move to the south coast over one to South Yorkshire.

“Neal sacrificed himself for the team,” Potter said. “We sometimes put pressure on centre-forwards to score. What their actual job is is to do their best for the team.”

“It was a decent point against a very good opponent at a hostile ground,” he added. “They have an identity and a way of playing.

“They’ve got 40 points already and huge respect to them for that. I have a huge amount of respect for Chris and for what his team is doing.”