SAINTS are still left nervously looking over their shoulders in the battle to avoid relegation after a disappointing home loss against Brighton.

The Seagulls had never won in seven previous top-flight meetings with Saints, but they took an early lead through Lewis Dunk.

Che Adams levelled for the hosts, but Leandro Trossard’s winner at the start of the second half proved enough to secure a 2-1 victory.

The defeat is Saints’ 10th in their past 12 Premier League matches and leaves them 14th in the table, seven points clear of the bottom three with nine games to play.

Ralph Hasenhuttl made five alterations from the midweek loss at Manchester City, reverting largely to the side which beat Sheffield United. In came Fraser Forster, Kyle Walker-Peters, Ibrahima Diallo, Takumi Minamino and Nathan Tella from the start.

Brighton made one change from their narrow loss to Leicester with Danny Welbeck preferred to Alexis Mac Allister. Former Saints youngsters Adam Lallana and Ben White kept their places in the XI.

It was a lively start from both sides with Adams nodding wide and Stuart Armstrong seeing a shot held by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, while at the other end Trossard’s effort was blocked by Jan Bednarek.

And unsurprisingly the deadlock was broken just past the quarter of an hour mark. After a clever flick from Welbeck, Neal Maupay collected the ball on the edge of the box and fired towards the top corner, only for a flying Forster to brilliantly tip behind.

However, Brighton found the net from the resulting corner. Pascal Gross’s outswinging delivery was met by the head of Dunk, who rose above Ryan Bertrand and headed down low and beyond Forster.

But back came Saints, quickly levelling the contest. Bertrand did win the ball in the air this time, heading it across the box towards Adams. Dunk got a touch but could not stop the ball from reaching the striker at the back post, who volleyed home his third goal in as many games.

The hosts were soon on the attack again. Minamino cut in from the left, with his low shot held by Sanchez.

But it was Brighton who should have gone in at the break ahead. Dan Burn and Welbeck combined well before the left-back slid the ball to Gross, free inside the box. The German fired across goal, but was denied by the legs of a sliding Forster.

Graham Potter switched his system at the break, also introducing Andi Zeqiri off the bench, but it was Saints who carved out the first opening with James Ward-Prowse thwarted by Sanchez.

However, Brighton would soon reclaim their lead. Lallana collected the ball in midfield and picked out Welbeck, whose perfectly weighted first-time pass found the onrushing Trossard. The Belgian burst through the heart of the Saints defence before slotting beyond Forster.

Saints quickly looked to hit back. Strike duo Adams and Tella combined well around the box before the latter went down under a challenge from Joel Veltman. Advantage was played with Adams on the ball in the box, but his goalbound shot was stopped by a big block from White.

Hasenhuttl then turned to his bench for the first time, introducing Nathan Redmond in place of Minamino. Moussa Djenepo was then also called into action, replacing Tella.

But there was no sign of a revival, even when Dan N’Lundulu was thrown on for the closing stages as Brighton ended a six-game winless run.

Saints: Forster; Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Diallo, Ward-Prowse; Armstrong (N’Lundulu, 87), Minamino (Redmond, 65); Tella (Djenepo, 68), Adams.

Unused subs: Stephens, Salisu, Ramsay, Ferry, Watts, McCarthy (g/k).

Brighton: Sanchez; Veltman, White, Dunk, Burn (Zeqiri, h-t); Gross, Lallana, Bissouma, Trossard (Moder, 86); Maupay, Welbeck (Propper, 77).

Unused subs: Tau, Mac Allister, Alzate, Jahanbakhsh, Izquierdo, Steele (g/k).

Referee: Stuart Attwell.