Ex-Potters defender Danny Higginbottom has stated that Stoke City need to defend well in order to grab a good result against Brighton.
City will be squaring off against Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Monday night and ahead of the clash, Higginbottom has urged the Potters to focus on their defending if they are to claim a positive result against the Seagulls.
He said: "Defences keep you up. For us (at Stoke), in our first couple of years, more often than not at home if we scored a goal we would win the game. We had a ridiculous amount of clean sheets in those first two years.
"Anyone will tell you – and this is why I don't understand why managers don't take it as seriously as they should do – it is easier to defend than it is to score. I have seen it at times recently with Stoke. You can score two or three goals and not get any points, whereas if you keep a clean sheet you've got a point.
"It's seen as boring now, but it's key to it as far as I'm concerned. Brighton have done that. They've got four of the same back five (from promotion) and that's why they are doing so well."
Source: tribalfootball.com