Mark Hughes says he isn’t dwelling on Saints letting another lead slip against Brighton.

Hughes takes his team to Anfield tomorrow to face the might of Liverpool, who go into the game with five wins from five in the Premier League this season.

Saints are unbeaten in three, but let a two-goal lead slip against the Seagulls on Monday night to make it five points spurned from winning positions early in this campaign.

However, Hughes insists performances are more of a focus at this stage.

He said: “I think it’s one of those things.

“Guys in the media will pick up on these stats but it’s not really something we are dwelling on. We are more concerned in how we are performing.

“My view is we are performing at a decent level but we have more development to come.

“We are on the back of a three game unbeaten run and that’s how we focus.

“We have been done by a good quality ball into a good area and then the referee sees fit to give them a penalty in the last minute.

“I don’t think that’s a character trait or how poorly we’re playing but these things can happen.

“If balls come in in good areas you are at risk of conceding and referees can make decisions that affect you adversely.

“We don’t view it as a concern. It has happened in recent games but we don’t think it’s an underlying failing in how we approach games or perform.

“It’s just something that has happened and will go away in the future.”

Facing Liverpool is a daunting prospect given the way they have started the campaign, but Hughes is trying to approach the game with positivity.

“They are in outstanding form at the moment,” he admitted. “A great performance in Europe and it’s going to be a test for us.

“We understand that and that we are on a decent run in terms of confidence. Monday night was a disappointment, but if we had been poor then we would have more concern.

“It’s a game that is going to test us because the team we are facing looks on top of their form in terms of individuals and the collective functioning really well.

“We will go there with the intention of causing problems and taking chances when we create them.

“We have created chances and that’s not been a problem for us.”

Among the many former Saints likely to be on display for the Reds is Virgil van Dijk, who has had a big impact since his £75m move from St Mary’s in January.

“He’s an outstanding player and there’s a reason they paid that amount of money for him,” reflected Hughes.

“They recognised that area of the squad needed to be improved to be able to go and sustain a challenge for a whole Premier League season.

“When you bring in top quality players very accomplished players lose their positions and become squad players but the squad gets more depth and stronger.

“Their first 11, or what you imagine would be their first 11, is as strong as any in the league, and their squad looks really strong and that will sustain them for the season.”