'Forget it' - De Zerbi sets Brighton target and issues Newcastle warning as Europe awaits

Albion ran out 3-0 winners against The Gunners away at the Emirates in the Premier League's Super Sunday clash, destroying Arsenal's title hopes in the process.

Second half goals from Julio Encisco, Denis Undav and Pervis Estupinan put Brighton into sixth place on 58 points with four games left to play.

Speaking after the game, De Zerbi said: "I am very delighted for the performance, I thought we deserved to win. I'm really proud, because the last five days were very difficult after the defeat on Monday [against Everton].

"Today we showed our valour, our passion. We showed we are serious people. My players showed they are great people.

"I am focused only to qualify for Europe now. I want to dream because I am used to giving everything in my work. I live for my work. And I want to dream. I want to reach the impossible target always.

"We have 58 points... we have another four games, tough games...and we have to fight, we have to deserve to qualify [for Europe] because 58 points is not enough to play Thursday next year."

Asked if Champions League qualification is still possible, De Zerbi said: "I think no. We play another four games and our idea is to win every game. I think it's very difficult, maybe we don't win four games but I think we deserve to qualify for Europe. Which Europe, I don't know."

The Italian manager has been lauded for his attractive style of football since taking over at Albion in September, with the most notable admirer being Pep Guardiola.

When asked about the courage it takes to play his style of football away at Arsenal, De Zerbi said: "I can decide how I can lose not how I can win. I want to lose playing this style. I want to lose playing with this courage. To try to command the play, command the game. And sometimes you can lose but it's my style, my idea, and the players are with me in this idea, they are showing they believe in our idea now."

Super sub and goalscorer Denis Undav revealed in a post match Sky Sports interview that De Zerbi played an inspirational Michael Jordan video to the squad before kick off.

De Zerbi said: "Undav speaks too much!

"I don't like basketball but I love the mentality of the champion in every sport and if I can learns something from the big champions, I am hungry to catch.

"I think my work is to give my style, to give my idea, to improve the players' in terms of what you want in football but first of all to work in heady mentality. We want to become not a big team but bigger than now. I think the most important part to improve is the mentality."

Albion make the long trip to the North East on Thursday night as they take on Newcastle, who are also fighting for European football next year.

De Zerbi said: "In Newcastle on Thursday we have to forget everything, we have to forget we won in Arsenal's stadium otherwise we will lose the game in Newcastle, 100 per cent."