Solly March: Roberto De Zerbi's enthusiasm rubbing off on Brighton ...

Solly March scored twice and set up another for Danny Welbeck as the Seagulls battered a helpless Liverpool side 3-0 at the AMEX Stadium on Saturday to climb to seventh in the Premier League.

And March says his boss’s enthusiasm for the game – visible through his actions on the touchline – has even stretched to sending messages to his players at unsociable hours of the day.

“I think his whole life is football,” he said.

“I think he sends some of the lads texts at 1am in the morning, like clips of what you can do better.

“I think that’s the hard work he puts in and everyone enjoys playing for him.

“He’s just animated, and I think that’s a good thing. You see that on the training pitch when you make a mistake and he gets animated. But we love it, it’s good.” 

Asked whether he had been on the receiving end of one of these texts, however, March added: “Not yet, I don’t want to get woken up. My wife won’t be happy!” 

March and fellow winger Kaoru Mitoma were crucial in the victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side, exploiting Liverpool’s high full-backs time after time – including for the opening goal which saw Mitoma square the ball to his team-mate to tap the ball in.

After an unconvincing start to life in charge of Brighton which saw him fail to win any of his first five games, De Zerbi has quickly got Brighton fans dreaming of a push for a European place this season, something March believes the club should have in their sights.

“I don’t see why not. We’ll be positive and obviously you’ve got to have high expectations,” he said.

“But like I said, we’ll take each game as it comes and if we train hard, work hard, and have performances like that, I think we can get close.” 

Former head coach Graham Potter’s departure for Chelsea had threatened to derail what had been a fantastic season for Brighton up until that point.

Potter’s departure is not the only setback Brighton have been dealt this season either. Ahead of the game against Liverpool, Leandro Trossard’s admission, made through his agent, that he wants to leave the club this month could well have destabilised the squad.

But any worries were quickly laid to rest when Brighton dominated Liverpool from the very start of the game, and March believes the team’s response to both situations shows the strength of the group.

“Obviously we were doing well, so I think it was a bit of a shock (to see Potter go),” he said.

“But I think the club, obviously, have done their homework and appointed someone that’s going to fit the club’s philosophy.

“We seem to be getting the benefits of that now. I think everyone is enjoying playing for him. We’ll take each game as it comes but we just get better and better.

“The big thing we’ve got ahead of a lot of teams is a lot of togetherness. Whatever happens, we just seem to bounce back and we’re all together.

“I think that’s why we’re so good.” 

Brighton have put in some impressive performances since being promoted to the top flight back in 2017, including this season’s 4-1 demolition of Potter’s Chelsea. But this might have been Albion’s best performance in the Premier League yet.

Mitoma and March put in the most eye-catching performances, but Moses Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister’s displays in midfield, another bright showing from young Irish forward Evan Ferguson, and one of the Premier League’s most dependable central defenders in Lewis Dunk are just a few of the reasons why there is cause to expect even more from a club which continues to punch above its weight.

“I think this is the best we’ve produced in the Premier League,” March explained.

“I said that after the game. I think, off the top of my memory, we haven’t played better than that in a long time.

“To play Liverpool off the park like that, I don’t think they knew what to do really, so I think it’s one of the best performances I’ve seen.

“I think they were just getting frustrated. When they’re pressing and we’re just playing around them, like one-touch football, it’s hard to play against.

“The gaffer and us working hard on the training ground is coming to fruition.

“I think it’s credit to us, really I do. They tried to press and I think it’s the way we play, it’s hard to play against.

“A lot of teams will come here and press so if they press like that, we’ll play round them.”

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 7, Groß 7, Dunk 7 (Webster 90’), Colwill 7, Estupinan 7, Caicedo 8, Mac Allister 7 (Sarmiento 83’), March 9, Lallana 7 (Veltman 66’), Mitoma 9 (Lamptey 90’), Ferguson 7 (Welbeck 66’). 

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 5, Matip 4 (Gomez 69’), Konate 6, Robertson 6, Henderson 6 (Elliott 69’), Fabinho 6 (Keita 68’), Thiago 6, Salah 5, Gakpo 5, Oxlade-Chamberlain 5 (Doak 69’).

Referee: D England.