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They say you never forget your first visit to Anfield.

And even in a world of unprecedented Premier League riches, that old adage remains true. Just ask Roberto De Zerbi.

It was just days after he was appointed as Brighton & Hove Albion's successor to the respected Graham Potter in October 2022 that the Italian was peering on the Anfield touchline for his first sampling of life as a Premier League manager.

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Though few inside Anfield - of either Liverpool or Brighton persuasion, it must be said - were entirely familiar with De Zerbi's credentials in a managerial career that had only taken him outside of his homeland once in nine years before his appointment at the Amex.

But by the time the full-time whistle echoed around Anfield to signal the end of his first outing, those in attendance, and the wider Premier League for that matter, had certainly taken notice of the performance of De Zerbi's side after they ended the afternoon with a share of the spoils after an enthraling six-goal thriller. And, in racing into a first-half lead, had Liverpool on the brink of a first-league defeat at Anfield in over 500 days.

As far as first impressions go, it was quite the curtain-raiser to the English top flight for De Zerbi, who was quickly identified as a prodigy with the tactical acumen to one day take over the reins at one of the Premier League's 'Big Six' as his reputation continued to blossom.

Nearly seventeen months on, and such links have become a reality for the Italian, now one of the bookmakers' favourites, alongside Sporting CP's Ruben