BRIGHTON AND HOVE Albion defender Gaetan Bong said Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba ‘was clever’ in winning a penalty for his side at the Old Trafford on Saturday.

The midfielder went down in the box after tangling with the Cameroon international and referee Paul Tierney awarded a penalty which the French man dispatched for the Red Devils’ opener.

Marcus Rashford added the second goal to render Pascal Gross’ effort a mere consolation as Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s men claimed a 2-1 victory to extend their winning run to seven games under the new boss.

Although he accepted the referee’s decision, Bong maintains the former Juventus midfielder went down too easily in the box.

“He was clever. We were fighting and he just put his foot between me and him and he went straight down,” Bong was quoted as saying by the Argus.

I think it was clever from him. He is a quality player and he is on form at the moment.

“Well played from him but I was a little bit upset. I spoke to the referee and I said he went easy on the floor. But he made the decision and I have to accept it.”

Brighton are 13th in the league standings with 26 points from 23 games after back-to-back losses.

They take on West Bromwich Albion on 26 January in the FA Cup as they look to return to winning ways.

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