Brighton have won two of their last three Premier League meetings with Spurs; This will be Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game in charge of the Seagulls; watch Brighton vs Tottenham live on Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm
Saturday 8 October 2022 17:42, UK
What a way to make an early impression. Roberto De Zerbi could be seen fist pumping and punching the air in a manner most can't when stationed in the opposition dugout at Anfield.
It was his first game in charge of new club Brighton. There's scarcely a tougher Premier League fixture to be faced with. Yet, as the clock ticked past 3.17pm last Saturday afternoon, his side were daring to enter uncharted territory against Liverpool.
Leandro Trossard had just tucked the ball beyond Alisson in the exact same fashion he had 13 minutes prior. A deserved two-goal lead had the Seagulls in dreamland.
It's difficult to recall a half of football under Jurgen Klopp where Liverpool have been so visibly outclassed on home turf. Brighton's football was effervescent, the exact opposite of Klopp's demeanour on the touchline as he watched his side get pulled apart by Potterball.
The new Chelsea manager's fingerprints remain all over Brighton's design. Indeed, De Zerbi indicated pre-match that he didn't plan to disrupt his side's flow by tinkering with personnel or formations. Afterwards he summarised: "I tried not to damage it."
His managerial style, which earned rave reviews in Italy at Sassuolo, will no doubt be imprinted in time but it's clear he already likes what he sees.
The Italian fielded one enforced change due to illness and let the players pick off Liverpool's frail backline one by one. At times, it matched the ruthlessness of Erling Haaland's unforgiving entry onto the Premier League playground. They pack a punch.
There was very little the home side could do about it, such was Brighton's bravery and adventure. You couldn't help but admire the entertainment value. Unless you were seated in the Kop, of course.
The result, a thrilling 3-3 draw, was Liverpool's highest score draw at Anfield in the Premier League since 2016 against Arsenal. Is Brighton's brand of football starting to mirror the Gunners' famous free-flowing, attack-minded approach?
That's perhaps overstating the point, but the south coast side are producing numbers that emulate that of the sides who traditionally occupy the league's top four spots.
In terms of results, Brighton have the same record this season as they did after seven games in 2021-22; winning four, drawing two and only losing once. The crucial difference, however, is they've scored six more (14) than they had at the same stage last term (8).
It's a compelling step forward. They are also outperforming their xG. And all after losing their two highest value assets in the summer transfer window - Marc Cucurella to Chelsea and Yves Bissouma to Tottenham. Both London clubs, incidentally, sandwich Brighton in the table: Spurs one place ahead, Chelsea one behind.
Brighton had fired a warning sign on opening weekend that they mean business, stylishly swatting aside Manchester United with very little regard or sympathy for Erik ten Hag's Old Trafford premiere. Similar to their Liverpool visit, they were able to prey on vulnerabilities. Many teams have wilted when playing away at the two most iconic stadiums in the northwest. Not Brighton.
They arrived at Old Trafford, and then Anfield some weeks later, brimming with confidence. Four points from those two fixtures alone suggests their assurance was not misplaced.
Trossard was the first visiting player since 2008 to score a first-half brace at Anfield in the league, before then becoming the first Brighton player ever to net a top-flight hat-trick. Opposing players simply don't score trebles at Anfield, although again akin to Arsenal's history in fixtures against Liverpool, Andrey Arshavin would argue otherwise.
Among the 'other 14', the teams outside of the division's so-called 'big six', Brighton rank top for shot accuracy - 38 of 88 attempts have hit the target. They are converting at a rate that would position them neatly alongside the Premier League's elite. All while playing attractive, possession-based football. Their strength is in the collective, but it's also worth observing individual contributions to notable results.
Pascal Gross vs United, Alexis Mac Allister in a 5-2 thrashing of Leicester and most recently Trossard's masterclass at Anfield. All have been consistently impressive.
A continuation of such form would be remarkable, despite the squad's solid foundations and the club's shrewd recruitment strategy. De Zerbi has indeed inherited a polished outfit but finds himself once again in at the deep end on his home debut this weekend. On Saturday, the former Shakhtar Donetsk coach goes up against compatriot Antonio Conte, live on Sky Sports. Another test of Brighton's stamina.
They are unbeaten in their last seven at the Amex and are looking to win three consecutive home league games for the first time since 2019, a run that included a 3-0 win over Spurs. Should they replicate that scoreline things really would get tasty, although October presents a particularly unkind set of fixtures.
Nevertheless, it's clear that Brighton's progress is cause for concern among other clubs in the chasing pack. Primarily because it's difficult to pinpoint an obvious weakness. Only Everton (7) have conceded fewer goals than the league's fourth-placed side, while no team has used fewer players (19). Consistency is the bedrock of their success.
De Zerbi faced Conte four times during his time in Serie A but never ended on the winning side. Expect, then, a rivalry fraught with tension and perhaps tinged with revenge. We're sure to get showmanship. Let's hope for fireworks.
Will the Seagulls continue to soar or are Spurs about to spoil the party?
