Roberto De Zerbi already knows what Crystal Palace away means to Brighton fans

Fans will recall that an Albion victory on that Monday night last September would have seen the Seagulls top the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history. The footballing Gods transpired against the Albion that night, although Neal Maupay’s long-range injury-time equaliser was probably as celebrated as much that night as any potential Albion winner.

Ironically, although the Albion find themselves 16 points adrift from the summit rather than two, they are in point of fact in a far stronger position than they were back in 2021. An ‘enforced’ change in the dugout has seen the Albion end with up £20million compensation after Graham Potter departed to Chelsea but with a better manager, Roberto De Zerbi, the current incumbent in the dugout.

I’ve never made a secret of the fact in this column that I wasn’t Potter’s biggest fan, but the facts are there for all to see. With the same set of players (with the exception of the departed Trossard) RDZ is playing far more attractive, fast flowing football.

Clearly, we will never know, but hypothetically I cannot see how the continuation of ‘Potterball’ would have harvested the same set of results since the resumption after the break for the World Cup. There is an element of luck obviously, but the biggest stroke of luck for the Albion is when the fat cats of West London came poaching.

Sadly, nothing lasts forever so the secret is, for us all to enjoy this while we can. This is the best squad of Albion players ever assembled, we’ve got a World Cup winner for starters, but on top of that RDZ is arguably the best coach ever seen at the club.

We travel to Selhurst Park, in the hunt for European football, and on the subject of luck, could Man City’s alleged rule breaking increase the chances of us crossing the channel come August...Who knows?

I’m not going to fall into the trap of over-confidence, Palace’s indifferent results have still thrown up six victories, so taking them lightly would be foolish. Then again does RDZ take anything lightly?

Word is his passion for the club already runs deep, he reportedly wants to win the FA Cup this season, and deep enough to know what the Palace game means to us all.

Prediction time, so easy to go emphatic, the greatest ever win in decades. No. I will settle for a comfortable 2-0 win and the adventure moves another step down the road.