After rollingicking his players in a dressing-room lock-in following their 5-1 humiliation by Everton, Roberto De Zerbi made a croaky pledge that we would see the "true" Brighton the following time.
He is referring to Brighton, who have this season brushed sides aside with their dashing manner. The Brighton team won the Premier League by defeating Chelsea and Manchester United twice. The Brighton team has been vying for a place in Europe.
De Zerbi claims that against Everton, we witnessed some pretenders rather than that team.
With 77.7% of the ball, Brighton had the most possession of the year, yet Sean Dyche's team scored five times on counterattacks. They received punishment. They sat down far. They executed a tactical strategy at the Amex Stadium perfectly, defending and breaking quickly once they gained possession of the ball.
However, Everton is not the first opponent to identify Brighton's weakness.
De Zerbi's team has lost on each of the five occasions this season when they have maintained the most possessions in the Premier League. Despite their supremacy in these particular games, this unusual statistic shows that they struggle when opponents allow them to play keep-ball.
Harry Kane scored the game-winning goal three passes and eight seconds after Kaoru Mitoma lost possession of the ball with a sloppy flip as Tottenham defeated Brighton 2-1. Tottenham is another team known for playing counter-attacking football, regardless of the manager.
Monday's opening for Everton was remarkably similar.
After attempting a second flick forward, Mitoma mishandled the ball, and the visitors took the lead after three passes and eight seconds. By the game's end, with Brighton having given up five goals on the break, their weakness had been exposed, and De Zerbi was visibly upset.
The fact that title-chasing Arsenal will not prioritize a defensive approach as their opponent is good news for Brighton, who dislikes playing against these types of clubs.
They'll travel to Brighton and apply high-pressure tactics, just like Manchester United did last week when they suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Amex.
United did not fare well with that. The hosts quietly and coolly exited from the back as Antony and Co chased after shadows. Erik ten Hag's team was completely outplayed on the evening, even though Alexis Mac Allister's 99th-minute penalty was required to win.
Arsenal, who play after Manchester City on Sunday, needs three points to stay in the Premier League title fight.
The visitors to the Emirates Stadium, however, should also be forewarned that Mikel Arteta's team should expect them to enjoy their approach. De Zerbi is convinced that this time, we will see the real Brighton.
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