Roberto De Zerbi says Manchester City play a "different sport" ahead of weekend clash

The Italian is still searching for his first win as Albion manager, after Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest saw the Seagulls go four games without a win and three without scoring a goal.

Brighton’s next opponents are the current Premier League champions and have started this campaign strongly, winning seven of their first 10 league games and scoring 33 goals in the process.

When asked about Saturday’s opposition, De Zerbi said to Amazon Prime following Tuesday’s game: “Manchester City play another sport, in terms of quality and football, but if you want to achieve the best mentality, you have to play against Manchester City like another team.

"We have to build our mentality and put our goals one step more.”

De Zerbi has been a big fan of City manager Pep Guardiola for a long time, with the 43-year-old said to have studied the Catalan’s Barcelona and Bayern Munich training sessions whilst working at Italian third division side Foggia in 2014.

Guardiola also spent two seasons on loan at De Zerbi’s home town club Brescia at the end of his career in the early 2000s.

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After taking the Brighton job, De Zerbi said the current City boss was one of the first to contact and congratulate him.

De Zerbi said: "Guardiola contacted me on Sunday, he’s very happy and spoke highly of this club, said he’s always ready to help me if I should need anything – except for the game we play against each other.

"We met each other when he was the trainer in Bayern. A couple of months a go I flew to Manchester to meet with him. He is a great trainer and we all look at him.”