De Zerbi maintains Midas touch as the Brighton success story continues

S hortly after the final whistle had blown at Stamford Bridge on Saturday there came a touching gesture from Roberto De Zerbi. Having finished celebrating Brighton’s deserved victory against Chelsea with his coaching staff, he wandered over to a despondent looking Mykhailo Mudryk and, in the late afternoon sun, embraced the Ukrainian.

Warm words were exchanged too and, all in all, it appeared a lovely moment between two men who spent 16 months working together at Shakhtar Donetsk. It may also have been what Mudryk needed after another game in which he looked way off being an £89m winger. After all, it was under De Zerbi’s guidance that Mudryk’s career ignited at Shakhtar, the Italian’s brilliance as a coach unlocking the 22-year-old’s stunning talents, and in that reunion may have come the very encouragement that leads to him repeating the feat in London.

Who knows, but what’s for sure is that for all his current struggles, Mudryk embodies De Zerbi’s ability to get the best out of young talent. It should, and no doubt does, excite everyone at Brighton, and especially in regards to Julio Enciso, the 19‑year‑old Paraguay forward whose rocket of a shot secured the three points for the visitors at the weekend. It was a breathtaking strike that capped an excellent display by the player on his 11th league appearance following a £9.5m summer move from the Asunción club Libertad. They have all come as a substitute, highlighting Brighton’s ability to not only unearth gems but oversee their progress in a patient manner.

In regards to Enciso specifically, De Zerbi has clearly put a lot of thought into his development, using the teenager as a substitute in the league and the FA Cup while starting him in the Carabao Cup, and after