The startling Brighton statistic that has Roberto De Zerbi tearing off his jacket and wildly punching the air

Statistically, in fact, there is no team better than Roberto De Zerbi’s at closing out Premier League games. In the final 15 minutes of league games this season, Brighton have conceded just one goal, scoring eight. Throughout the entirety of the season so far, the only goal conceded by the Seagulls after the seventy-fifth minute was a consolation goal for Everton’s Demari Gray, as he scored from the spot to leave Brighton with a 4-1 win. But what is it that sets the Seagulls above the rest in the dying moments of the game?

Traditionally, in football, amongst other team sports, finishing games well suggests a strong bench. In the wake of a relatively quiet January transfer window, De Zerbi’s substitutes do not necessarily boast big or proven names in the Premier League, but there is certainly a pool of explosive young talent. Jeremy Sarmiento, Julio Enciso and, most recently, Facundo Buonanotte are all young, attacking players who have the potential to offer electrifying influence late in the game.

In Saturday’s Bournemouth game, Roberto De Zerbi even had the ability to introduce Moises Caicedo, an impact worth more than £60 million. These exciting youth prospects alongside the experience of Adam Webster, Joel Veltman and Danny Welbeck, all of whom have been deployed in the latter stages of games at some point this season, offer a strong bench with which De Zerbi has operated and can continue to look to as the season progresses.

But it is not just the substitutes’ bench that contributes towards these emphatic finishes. The style of play insisted upon by chairman Tony Bloom and Paul Barber, the style of play that led to the hiring of both Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, lends itself to momentum and dominance. De Zerbi’s devotion to progressive, passing football relies upon the dismantling of opposition presses.

As such, it benefits from the opponent's fatigue and the momentum that builds for the Seagulls, as first touches and weight of passing improve when players settle into the game. As opponents lose pace and fall out of shape, De Zerbi’s men are well-versed in meticulously exploiting the space they have left and ruthlessly moving through it. Equally, both the physical and footballing stamina of Brighton’s players cannot be underestimated. In an interview after the Bournemouth game, De Zerbi commented, “when you have [Mitoma on the pitch] you can never substitute him", testament to his ability to offer a constant and relentless threat to score or create goals. Albion players set the standard and push each other to maintain quality in every minute leading up to the final whistle.

This Brighton team is also a fantastically balanced team in terms of personalities. The considered but intensely passionate leadership of Lewis Dunk is steadfastly supported by the experience of Webster, Joel Veltman and Pascal Groß, amongst several others. These personalities, who have offered the club years of Premier League service, provide the foundation for a remarkable never-say-die mentality amongst the squad. Equally, the enthusiasm of players such as Alexis MacAllister, Solly March and Pervis Estupinan is fervent fuel to the fire of this Albion team’s tenacity and drive. They are a squad and coaching team that appears to be very much one, working ardently towards their goal of European football.

This Albion team’s mentality and ability to finish games so strongly can be symbolised no better than in the celebrations that followed Mitoma’s late Bournemouth winner. A manager so ecstatic he can bring no rational reaction other than wheeling round before trying to tear at his own jacket. A goalscorer sprinting towards the Albion fans, punching the air, alongside a player who wanted to move on from the club one week earlier, screaming in delight, before falling to the floor to embrace his teammate. They are clearly a squad united and committed towards their battle for European football. Their style of play and squad mentality are undoubtedly weapons which provide a serious threat to any team in the Premier League, whatever the scoreline may be.