Javi Gracia insists his Watford squad have the right mentality ahead of their first Premier League game of the season against Brighton at Vicarage Road.

The Hornets started their last league season with four successive victories and Gracia winning August manager of the month and he wants the same again from his players.

He said: "I agree it was very important last season to start winning four games in a row and we will try to do it again, but the rest of the teams as well.

"We come, try to work hard and with the mentality the players have I think we will be able to do better with results this season."

Watford finished 11th last season, having won 14 matches and kept seven clean sheets in the Premier League, and the manager is looking forward to the return to action.

He said: "I think our players always have the right mentality and a positive mentality. The way they are going to play in this game it doesn't depend on the result of the last game.

"They are good professionals, they always try to do their best and I'm sure in the next game, and in the first game of this new Premier League they are looking forward to the game and they play as well as possible."

Watford's last competitive game was the FA Cup final when Manchester City inflicted a six-goal demolition of Gracia's side and completed a domestic treble, but the manager said the players have moved on.

When asked whether his squad have got the final out of their system the Spaniard replied: "I think they are ready and they are ready to play in this case against Brighton.

"That is the same game we played last season in the first game.

"We were able to win and this is what I prefer to remember in this moment, the result we were able to get against Brighton in the first game, maybe the players remember it as well and it would be a good reminder for them."