Consistency on Magpies' side as they try to clip Seagulls' wings at last

HISTORY IS AGAINST THEM - BUT UNITED ARE FLYING

- JOHNGIBSON

SEAGULLS can be irritating. They nick things. Have you tried eating a bag of chips on the sea front at Tynemouth?

So let us Geordies beware when we rock up at Brighton because any points they pinch can prove mightily costly in the final reckoning for Champions League qualification.

They are a funny team are Brighton and Hove. Beatable most certainly, but dangerous on any given day too.

United's final two away fixtures at Brighton and Arsenal could be critical in our points gathering.

Maybe we will expect to win at home given what rides on the results, but our road trips are extra important and could hold the sway.

History tells us United will have to be at their Sunday best if they are to beat the Seagulls.

This will be the eighth attempt at winning a PL fixture at this south coast venue, having drawn four and lost the other three of their previous seven visits.

In addition our hosts are bidding for a winning treble against Newcastle this season following 1-0 PL and 2-1 FA Cup victories on Tyneside.

Yet fear ought not to grip the stomach. Brighton are not in sustained form.

They beat West Ham 3-2 last weekend only through two last-gasp goals, turning defeat into victory when looking dead, before which they had lost three and drawn two of their previous five matches. And one of the draws was at home to relegated Leicester.

Let me throw up another set of stats that greatly favour the Magpies over the Seagulls.