Pep Guardiola has hailed Roberto De Zerbi, describing him as “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years” as the pair prepare to meet on the touchline on Wednesday night.
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Newly crowned champions Manchester City visit a Brighton & Hove Albion side who have just qualified for Europe for the first time in their history, just eight months after De Zerbi took charge.
“Congratulations to Brighton for this incredible achievement of getting into Europe,” said Guardiola on Man City’s official website. “Roberto De Zerbi is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years. There is no team that plays the way they play, it’s unique.
“I had the feeling when he arrived, I had an idea the impact he would have on the Premier League would be great but I couldn’t expect him to do it in such a short time.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Manchester City
MCI
|
38 | +61 | 89 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +45 | 84 |
| 3 |
Manchester United
MUN
|
38 | +15 | 75 |
| 4 |
Newcastle United
NEW
|
38 | +35 | 71 |
| 5 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
38 | +28 | 67 |
| 6 |
Brighton & Hove Albion
BHA
|
38 | +19 | 62 |
“They create on average 20 to 25 chances per game. They monopolise the ball in a way that hasn’t been seen for a long time. Everybody is involved - the goalkeeper is like a holding midfielder.
“If you don’t play at a high level, he [De Zerbi] can do whatever he wants against you. It’s one of the teams that I try to learn a lot from, it’s unique.
“It’s going to be an incredible challenge for us ahead of the two finals [in the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League].”
Guardiola is renowned for his tactical genius and stylish football, and he sees De Zerbi in a similar way.
“Brighton is a master of passing the ball to a man who is free, but also knowing when to pass the ball,” said the Spaniard. “They know how to move at the right time. They have the right tempo to pass to the man free.
“How aggressive they are with the ball they continued from Graham Potter because I think he installed something really good.”
