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Roberto De Zerbi warns Arsenal they will see the ‘true Brighton’ after shock Everton defeat.
After a shocking 5-1 loss to Everton at home, Roberto De Zerbi has warned Arsenal that they will see the “true Brighton” next weekend.
Brighton’s hopes of competing in Europe took a serious hit on Monday as Everton, one of the teams fighting for relegation, crushed them at the Amex Stadium.
Everton, who began the game in the relegation zone, led 3-0 at the break and defeated a Brighton team that was competing for a European spot in the second half.
Brighton received jeers both throughout the half and after the final whistle, but De Zerbi has pledged to bounce back and play better against Arsenal next weekend, one of the Premier League’s championship contenders.
As the Gunners are presently only one point behind league-leading Manchester City, the Seagulls travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in an effort to end Arsenal’s title chances.
‘It’s very difficult to explain this performance,’ De Zerbi said. ‘It was a really strange game. We conceded the first goal after 30 seconds.
‘This wasn’t the true Brighton, it’s a bad day. I think the problem is not about tactical disposition, I think we didn’t prepare in terms of motivation, in terms of mentality maybe.
‘Playing a lot of games in a small period is also difficult. We are not used to playing so many games in a row. We have to work on this and our mentality.
‘I can understand. I’m still proud of my players. The first responsibility is the coach. It’s my responsibility.
‘We have to remember this game and this date, May 8th, because it can be a very important day for us if we improve in mentality. We have to get ready to play the next game if we want to fight for the big target.
‘Before this game we were playing fantastic football, and getting fantastic results. We have to be proud of our work.
‘Today we made a big mistake because we showed we were not ready to play this game. Too many mistakes, we lost the first half, we weren’t the true Brighton. This is what we must improve.
‘I spoke with the players as I do after every game. I think on Sunday we will show our quality, we will get back to our style and you will see the true Brighton.’