Mastering the Art of Tactics: How Brighton Outsmarted Man Utd with Roberto De Zerbi's Genius Move

Jamie Carragher praised Brighton's exceptional football and hailed Roberto De Zerbi's team as one of the top contenders in the Premier League. Brighton, who finished sixth last season, claimed their fourth win in five matches this season by expertly adjusting their tactics to beat Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford. Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross, and Joao Pedro all contributed to Brighton's impressive triumph.

Pundit Jamie Carragher analyzed their victory on Monday Night Football, focusing on their successful adaptation to Manchester United's unexpected formation change. Erik ten Hag's team usually uses a 4-2-3-1 formation but surprised everyone by adopting a midfield diamond. De Zerbi showcased his tactical expertise by adjusting Brighton's strategy during the match, which enabled the Seagulls to exploit United's weakness on the flanks.

'Man Utd's system caused Brighton problems'

Carragher stated that Manchester United employed a different system in their recent match, possibly due to the unavailability of wide players or their intention to utilize Rashford and Hojlund in advanced positions.

It is evident that De Zerbi and his team were unaware of this formation until the game began, which caused them significant difficulties, both in possession and without the ball. Their intention to employ a man-marking system proved challenging in light of these circumstances.

Prior to Brighton scoring, a thorough scrutiny of the opening 19 minutes depicts Manchester United's dominance in terms of their shots, touches within the opposition box, and passes executed in the final third. It is noteworthy how frequently they successfully secured possession when Brighton endeavored to construct their play from the defensive lines.

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Manchester United dominated the game before Brighton's opener

Carragher observed an instance where Manchester United's formation during their build-up from the back, beginning with goalkeeper Andre Onana, led to bewilderment for the Seagulls.

"As the ball is played backwards, you can see the manager, De Zerbi, positioned on the sideline, passionately instructing the players on their responsibilities," Carragher explained.

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De Zerbi can be observed passionately guiding his players, with Mahmoud Dahoud hesitating on whether to apply pressure on Casemiro, considering the presence of McTominay behind him.

"Next, we have [Kaoru] Mitoma seeking guidance from the manager on where to position himself, as there is no existing full-back option available.

"It is worth mentioning that Brighton adopted a man-to-man marking strategy across the entire field, which resulted in a sense of unease and discomfort for the team."

"It almost feels here like Manchester United are trying to entice Brighton onto them, a little bit like Brighton do.

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Left winger Kaoru Mitoma can be seen marking Scott McTominay in central midfield

Brighton's uncertainty about defensive assignments was evident when the ball was played long. Mitoma, the left winger, was unexpectedly paired with McTominay.

Undoubtedly, the employment of the diamond formation in the beginning posed significant challenges for Brighton.

De Zerbi's intervention and Steele's influence

In spite of the initial confusion caused by Manchester United's setup, Brighton managed to successfully navigate through Ten Hag's team and score the opening goal. They skillfully maneuvered the ball through the center of the pitch, and ultimately, Simon Adingra's cross found the back of the net thanks to Welbeck's finish.

However, according to Carragher, the subsequent break in play was just as significant as the goal itself. It provided De Zerbi with an opportunity to call Lewis Dunk to the touchline, where he could thoroughly explain and implement a crucial tactical adjustment.

"What gave them the opportunity to change was actually scoring the first goal," explained Carragher.

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De Zerbi uses the break in play following the first goal to explain his tactical change to Lewis Dunk

Dunk approaches De Zerbi to investigate the situation and find out what is happening. He engages in a conversation with his center-back, making it visibly evident. He explains the team's formation and provides instructions on what they need to do.

"You can observe him pointing and discussing the need for Dunk and Van Hecke to occupy wider positions."

The Brighton centre-backs typically remain narrow and draw opponents towards them, but they chose to adjust their strategy and move wider in order to exploit the available space.

This change had an intriguing effect by involving the goalkeeper more actively in the game. We are aware of Jason Steele's exceptional ball-handling skills.

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Brighton's center-backs were positioned wider and deeper when receiving Jason Steele's passes against Man Utd compared to their previous games. In the earlier matches, however, the center-backs were situated higher up and closer together, with an increased number of passes being directed through the middle of the field.

Next, we move on to the match versus Manchester United. The center-backs positioned themselves deeper and wider, resulting in fewer passes being executed through the center of the pitch. This strategic move was targeted at countering Manchester United's defensive strength in that area.

Instead, the focus shifted towards utilizing the spaces on the sides of the pitch, where our goalkeeper effectively distributed his passes.

Carragher highlighted that Steele's number of passes against Manchester United was 53, a considerable increase compared to his average of 34 from the previous season.

"He is much more actively engaged in the game, mainly because the centre-backs were positioned further apart, making him almost like the central center-back, requiring him to participate more. I found that to be highly commendable."

'We are watching one of the best teams'

Carragher used the third goal to illustrate how De Zerbi's altered tactics allowed Brighton to capitalise on the space United's system left in wide areas.

Van Hecke is effectively achieving the third goal by executing precise short passes and effectively drawing the Manchester United players closer to him. This display of confidence has been previously observed.

The dissimilarity lies in the positioning of the center-back. Due to United's tactical approach, Dunk purposefully positions himself wider, opening up space inside him which the team can exploit. Van Hecke demonstrates confidence in utilizing his teammate who possesses the ball. Additionally, he has the assurance of a goalkeeper's presence if required.

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Jan Paul van Hecke skillfully executes precise short passes, adeptly luring the opposing team's press and cleverly generating open areas on the left flank. Consequently, this strategic move allows the full-back to advance further up the field, permits the winger to maneuver towards the center, and aligns with Brighton's forward's tendency to drop deeper into the play.

However, the winger typically does not venture inside as frequently. As a result, from the perspective of Manchester United, who prefer employing man-marking tactics, their right-back is occupied with marking the winger, while Lindelof has engaged with the striker, leading to the availability of space on the wider side.

McTominay finds himself in a somewhat ambiguous position, positioned as an inside right with a level of uncertainty regarding his next move.

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Brighton have opened up space for Tariq Lamptey on the left side of the defense, and Joao Pedro and Mitoma have taken advantage of the gaps left by Diogo Dalot and Victor Lindelof.

Lamptey seized the opportunity by advancing with Dunk's pass and delivering a cross to substitute Joao Pedro, who successfully scored against Onana.

"So, Brighton showed brilliant adaptation," Carragher continued. "That was the manager's directive, but ultimately, it was up to the players to execute it on the field."

Additionally, Carragher emphasized the significant number of passes made in the lead-up to every Brighton goal.

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Each Brighton goal involved a minimum of 18 passes and eight players

"If we look at the players involved in the goals, we see that there were eight players involved in the first goal.

"For the 2-0, almost every player was involved, 29 passes. And again, for the third, almost every player is involved.

"The football that we are seeing from Brighton right now is out of this world.

"Is it a shock? I don't think any result Brighton get now is a shock.

"I think we are watching one of the best teams in the Premier League and certainly one of the best managers."