It is incredible that Brighton have sold almost £400million of players over two seasons and yet head into Saturday’s game with West Ham top of the Premier League.
It is a product of total trust in the way they do business. From top to bottom, this club is being run impeccably.
They have an owner in Tony Bloom who puts a price on the head of every player but no matter who they lose, Brighton believe the next man off their conveyor belt will be as good, if not better, in Roberto De Zerbi’s tactical plan.
There is a real authority to the way Brighton approach games, both with the ball and without. They are the Premier League’s great dictators when it comes to possession, De Zerbi ordering his team to chase down opponents before they can even think about mounting an attack.
Wolves discovered this in last weekend’s 4-1 defeat. Julio Enciso was one of three changes De Zerbi made through the middle, while keeping the outside structure the same as in their opening weekend win over Luton.
Roberto De Zerbi’s (pictured) Brighton will take on West Ham United on Saturday afternoon
The Irons will head to the Amex where David Moyes’ (pictured) side will look to go back-to-back with wins following their triumph agaomst Chelsea at the London Stadium last week
A win will see Brighton stay top of the Premier League after they beat Wolves 4-1 last week
Enciso was utterly exhaustive in his work ethic. When Brighton pressed high, Enciso was not only pressuring defenders but chasing down goalkeeper Jose Sa. When Sa inevitably launched it long, Brighton’s players were ready to win it back.
Sometimes their collective pushing up the pitch can leave defenders isolated, but that is a risk De Zerbi is willing to take. It was a performance that verged on perfection, Kaoru Mitoma Opening the scoring with a moment of individuality and Solly March cashing in on Enciso’s ability to deliver two precise crosses, despite his speed.
It was further proof that Mitoma and Enciso — and Evan Ferguson, their 18-year-old striker who impresses me whenever he plays — will be on the wishlists of bigger clubs soon enough.
The knee injury suffered in training in midweek by Enciso is a huge blow for Brighton. Their new summer signing Joao Pedro will need to replicate the energy Enciso showed against Wolves.
James Ward-Prowse’s debut saw him secure two assists and he’ll be back looking for more
Kaoru Mitoma opening the scoring with a moment of indiviudal quality for Brighton last week
West Ham will be tricky opposition on Saturday. There is evidence from last season to suggest Brighton struggle against opponents who do not press high. You could argue that is classic West Ham, who are happy to spend large periods without the ball.
They beat Chelsea 3-1 last weekend with only 24 per cent possession, preferring to set up a mid-pitch block to stop them playing through the middle.
James Ward-Prowse’s perfect debut saw him secure two assists, Michail Antonio’s running into the channels was relentless and new signing Edson Alvarez gave a glimpse of his talent off the bench.
It was a hard-fought win, but it will be even tougher for David Moyes and his rope-a-dope counter-attacking tactics to manage another victory at the Amex Stadium.
