Chris Hughton delivers Roberto De Zerbi and Brighton verdict and makes 'never sure' Graham Potter claim

De Zerbi will tale take of Brighton for the first time at the Amex on the back of last Saturday’s thrilling 3-3 draw against Liverpool.

Hughton, who led Brighton to the Premier League and maintained their top flight status for two seasons before his sacking in 2019, believes the Italian is a perfect fit for his old club.

“He's a manager there has been speculation about in the past,” Hughton said speaking ahead of the Tottenham clash on Sky Sports. “Brighton would have done their home work. Is he a leftfield appointment? No. They have brought in somebody that has a very good record of working with young players. A Possession based coach as well. He fits in well and they would have done their homework.”

Hughton was replaced at the Amex by Graham Potter who left last month for Chelsea after a successful three year spell on the south coast.

“The biggest change, if I look at the previous manager [Graham Potter] he was never sure which team he was going to play,” Hughton said. “Even on a winning performance. He moved the team around a lot. The biggest change has been the consistency, perhaps because they started well this season.They have not changed much and that has helped Welbeck.

"He is fit and firing and they have had that No 9 on good form that they can build things around. They are a possession based team and they have good footballers. They key was can they score more goals and at the moment they are."