Brighton & Hove Albion's Success Continues as De Zerbi's Midas Touch Persists | The Guardian

Following Brighton's hard-earned victory against Chelsea on Saturday, Roberto De Zerbi shared a touching moment with Mykhailo Mudryk. The Italian coach and the Ukrainian had worked together for 16 months at Shakhtar Donetsk, where De Zerbi had helped to unlock Mudryk's stunning talents. Mudryk has struggled to replicate his impressive performances at Chelsea, but his reunion with De Zerbi may serve as a source of encouragement. Mudryk is a testament to De Zerbi's ability to bring out the best in young talent, which should excite Brighton fans, especially regarding 19-year-old Julio Enciso. De Zerbi has been strategic in Enciso's development, using him as a substitute in the league and the FA Cup, and starting him in the Carabao Cup. Enciso's latest display was electric, and the coach demanded more, stressing that the player must think first of the team rather than himself.

According to Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, De Zerbi's relentless and unsparing approach has been critical in the team's excellent form since his arrival in September." Under this manager, we work hard on the training pitch every day and everyone knows the details,” Dunk says. “That’s the way we work and the way we play, which is also to dominate games. Since this manager’s been here, I don’t think there’s been many games we haven’t dominated." Indeed, Brighton dominated Chelsea, with 26 shots on goal- the most Chelsea have ever faced in a Premier League home game.

Brighton looks forward to Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United with great enthusiasm. On the other hand, Chelsea faces doubts ahead of their Champions League visit from Real Madrid on Tuesday. Chelsea's current state of lackluster performance has raised concerns, with Todd Boehly's decision to bring Frank Lampard back to the club on an interim basis coming under scrutiny. Lampard has suffered three successive defeats, which highlights his inability to manage the team. In contrast, De Zerbi's impressive style of coaching could be the solution to Chelsea's woes.