Roberto De Zerbi saluted Joao Pedro after his two-goal display against Tottenham, but admitted he fears the forward’s stay at Brighton may be brief.
Pedro starred in a thrilling 4-2 win for the Seagulls on Thursday night, scoring twice from the penalty spot and also setting up Jack Hinshelwood’s opener.
Brazilian attacker Pedro only moved to Brighton in May for a fee in the region of £30million, but has hit 13 goals for his new club, with seven of them in the last nine matches.
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De Zerbi said: “He is the best player on the pitch, I think. He played another incredible game.
“I am really pleased for his improvement on mentality, on attitude. In defensive phase, incredible because he defended 90 minutes like a centre-back in terms of mentality.
“He is becoming, I think, a top player. I hope in the next year to work with him but I think it will be very tough.”
While Pedro tormented Tottenham all night long, it was a superb team display by Brighton, especially for the first hour on the south coast.
To top off an excellent end to 2023, Pervis Estupinan marked his first Premier League appearance since September with a superb 25-yard strike.
“It’s an incredible goal but the most important thing about Estupinan is we recover an important player because we are losing a lot of players on injuries,” De Zerbi admitted.
“We cannot play with 10 or nine players.”
Estupinan’s return from a muscle problem occurred at half-time with fellow left-back Igor Julio forced off with a tendon problem.
Youngster Facundo Buonanotte also had to be replaced with an injury concern and De Zerbi admitted they are initial doubts for the trip to West Ham next week.
He added: “Igor and Facundo suffered injuries. I don’t know if important and I don’t know for the next game in West Ham’s stadium but Igor couldn’t play the second half (due to) a tendon injury.
“And Facundo is a muscular problem.”
De Zerbi also fielded questions on Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma, who has been ruled out for four to six weeks with an ankle injury which has placed in doubt his participation in next month’s Asian Cup.
“I hope it can be less than four (weeks), but the medical staff say four, five or six weeks and I am working for Brighton, not for Japan. I can say nothing for Japan,” the Italian insisted.
“I hope for you that Kaoru can play in Asian Cup but I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, Brighton have confirmed long-serving board members Derek Chapman and Marc Sugarman will step down as non-executive directors on June 30.
Chapman has been involved with the club since 1999, while Sugarman first joined in 2009.
Clement explains Tavernier omission in Rangers draw with Olympiacos
Philippe Clement explained captain James Tavernier was omitted from Rangers' 1-1 Europa League draw with Olympiacos due to fear of him playing too many games.
The 33-year-old skipper was utilised as a second-half substitute in a game where Cyriel Dessers cancelled out Ayoub El Kaabi's opener at the Karaiskakis Stadium on Thursday.
It was a call that raised a few eyebrows given the criticism Tavernier has faced this season, but Clement said it was just about managing the experienced full-back's minutes.
In quotes reported by BBC Sport, Clement said: "That's never an easy decision, but I want more than one captain in the group.
"If you come at a certain age you can't play 60 games at the same level. We knew that before the season. It's about competition for spots.
"It's about one team, winning together. That's Rangers - one team, one family, going for one goal."
Rangers now have seven points from four games in Europe's secondary competition, sitting just outside the top eight in the table.
Clement, however, was disappointed not to travel home with the win despite being impressed with the performance.
"A very strong performance as a team, sticking to the plan, being very disciplined and using the spaces," he added.
"Disappointed we didn't win the game, that's the next step we need to take. But I saw a lot of positive things and I need to praise the whole team for that.
"I don't want players happy with a point. We went for the three points and that's the mentality I want to see against any opponent.
"Our midfield was massive today. Our defence was really solid. Jack [Butland] didn't have to make many saves."
Rangers are now unbeaten in their last five away matches in the Europa League (W2 D3), equalling their longest such run in the competition’s history (also five unbeaten between October 2020 – March 2021).
Up next in the competition is Ligue 1 side Nice, who drew 2-2 with Enschede on Thursday.
Olympiacos 1-1 Rangers: Dessers leveller rescues valuable away point
Cyriel Dessers earned Rangers a priceless point at the home of the Europa Conference League winners, with his strike securing a 1-1 draw with Olympiacos.
The result left Rangers just outside the top eight in the Europa League table, while Olympiacos are one place further back, having picked up seven points from their four games.
Dessers, however, squandered a golden opportunity in the 11th minute after being sent through on goal, but could only fire his effort at the legs of Konstantinos Tzolakis.
Tzolakis was again on hand to deny the Rangers striker six minutes later, producing a stunning save to tip his effort wide as the Scottish side ended the half in the ascendency.
But their good work was undone shortly after the restart when Chiquinho's smart backwards header found Ayoub El Kaabi, who swivelled and rifled the ball into the roof of the net.
However, Rangers responded eight minutes later, with Dessers finally getting the better of Tzolakis. The Nigerian skipped beyond the challenge of Panagiotis Retsos before curling the ball home.
Both sides pushed to try and find the winning goal in the closing stages, but the spoils were shared at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki.
Data Debrief: Oh I do love playing away
Rangers can leave Greece happy with a point, though could have returned to Ibrox with all three after a strong showing against Olympiacos.
They ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.13 compared to their opponents' 0.68, despite having three less shots throughout the contest.
But their impressive form away from home in Europe continued. They are now unbeaten in their last five away matches in the Europa League (W2 D3), equalling their longest such run in the competition’s history (also five unbeaten between October 2020 – March 2021).
Dessers also impressed for Philippe Clement's side. He has been directly involved in 10 goals across 13 away appearances in major European competitions (eight goals, two assists).
Galatasaray 3-2 Tottenham: Osimhen brace downs 10-man visitors
Victor Osimhen's first-half brace sent Galatasaray top of the Europa League table after they edged a five-goal thriller against 10-man Tottenham.
The defeat marked Spurs' first of their European campaign, and they could drop out of the top eight should results go against them later on Thursday.
Galatasaray took the lead with six minutes on the clock in stunning fashion. Archie Gray's headed clearance was collected by Yunus Akgun, who rifled a left-footed effort into the top corner.
But Spurs drew level through a surprise inclusion in their starting line-up as Will Lankshear notched his first senior goal with a simple finish from Brennan Johnson's cross.
However, after seeing an effort ruled out a minute earlier for offside, Osimhen put the hosts back in front, prodding the ball home after sloppy play from Radu Dragusin.
Osimhen then doubled his tally six minutes before half-time, combining again with Dries Mertens, this time planting the Belgian's teasing delivery beyond Fraser Forster.
It went from bad to worse for Ange Postecoglou's side on the hour-mark when Lankshear was shown a second yellow card for a mistimed challenge on Gabriel Sara.
Hopes of a Spurs comeback were revived in the 69th minute when substitute Dominic Solanke neatly flicked Pedro Porro's cross into the net, but Galatasaray held on for the win.
Data Debrief: Turkish delight
While the score-line suggests a tightly contested affair at Rams Park, Galatasaray were worthy winners against Tottenham.
Okan Buruk's side registered 28 shots compared to Tottenham's five, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 3.28 to their opponents' 1.87.
But having ended the night on a sour note, Tottenham's Lankshear followed in the footsteps of a former Spurs great.
At 19 years and 201 days, he became Tottenham's youngest goalscorer in a major European since Harry Kane (18 years and 140 days) scored against Shamrock Rovers in the 2011-12 Europa League.
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