Lewes Dunk reveals how Brighton picked up famous wins over Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United

Lewis Dunk admitted it was ‘carnage’ for the first two weeks following the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as Brighton head coach.

Dunk is currently training with the England squad ahead of their Euro 2023 qualifier against Ukraine and friendly away in Scotland. The defender is hoping to win his second cap for the Three Lions, five years after winning his first in a 3-0 win in a friendly against the United States.

The Brighton captain's return to the national team is largely due to his performances for a Brighton side that has become one of the most entertaining in the country under De Zerbi.

The Italian coach took the Seagulls to their highest-ever top flight finish last season (sixth) and qualification for this season's Europa League for the first time ever.

Dunk claims his current gaffer has helped him to see football in a different way.

The centre-back told The Times: “Football-wise, since the new manager at Brighton has come in I see football in a completely different way, I picture it in a different way and that is the biggest thing,

“Football is not what I thought it was. Just how we play now. The idea of what I did before, I thought it made sense. But when you learn something completely different, you believe in it and this makes sense.

"You think ‘why didn’t I know this?’ and ‘why didn’t I do this before?’ That is just what it is.”

Since his appointment in September last year, De Zerbi has taken Albion’s football to the next level. Building on the good work of Graham Potter, the 43-year-old’s intricate build-up play from the back has been revolutionary; dismantling the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal with ease.

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Brighton’s passing combinations between defenders and goalkeeper now seem so smooth and effortless, but Dunk has revealed that getting to grips with De Zerbi’s creative ideas was a struggle to begin with.

He said: “If I am being honest, honest answer the first couple of weeks were horrendous… I wouldn’t say horrendous, they were baffling.

“He (De Zerbi) knows that, we have spoken about it and he knew that at the time, coming in, not speaking English, speaking through a translator.

“Training changed dramatically, we work on a lot of different stuff now and the first couple of weeks were a really hard transition, especially I think we were fourth in the league when Graham left and we were flying with him, and it was a strange time for him to go and then Roberto came in and (it was) carnage for two weeks.”

De Zerbi has become known for his finite attention to detail and high standards, allowing his possession-based football to become such a success in the Premier League.

Every player is expected to be technically proficient, enabling the Sussex side to bait their opposition into pressing them high up the pitch. This allows players such as Dunk, Adam Webster and Pascal Gross to slip a number of quick passes together, avoiding the on-rushing defenders and releasing Karou Mitoma and Solly March into the space behind them.

When asked about these mesmerising transitions, Dunk said: “It’s rehearsed – don’t worry about that. We rehearse it every day. That is our training. I couldn’t play his position, but now know every position on the pitch and where they should be.

"The time they should move and what angles they should give. So yes, we see it every day and it makes life simpler.”

England face Ukraine in the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland on Saturday, September 8.