One of the questions at Roberto De Zerbi’s press conference hit the nail on the head.

Ahead of what must be one of the more intriguing games at the Amex in its 11-plus years, it felt a shame to have to spend so much time asking about a player who will not be involved.

Even if that player scored a hat-trick when these sides last met.

Albion take on Liverpool today and the prospect is an attractive one.

A side who have been scoring goals freely away now looking for something special on their own turf against one of the biggest clubs in the game.

It is Alexis Mac Allister’s first outing at home since helping win the World Cup.

No doubt the crowd will do him proud.

When there is such expectation, it can lead to disappointment.

One recalls a visit from Liverpool four years ago this week, at a time when Albion had just enjoyed some decent results and scored a few goals.

That grey and wet afternoon produced a dull affair decided by Mo Salah’s penalty.

Something similar might happen today. You never know.

That is the beauty of the game.

But there is reason for excitement right now.

“hile much of yesterday’s talk had to be about Leandro Trossard, what has gone on and what his future might hold, there is an awful lot more to be speaking about.

De Zerbi said: “Liverpool is always one of the biggest teams, big players, one of the best coaches in Europe and we have to respect that.

“But, in the same way, we have to try to find the conditions to win the game.

“If we want to change our target, to make one step further forward, we have to try and win the game.”

De Zerbi loves troubling the so-called bigger powers in the Prem.

He said: “If we speak about one game, only one game, I think football is very nice because you can win or you can lose against all teams.

“But in a competition of 38 games it is a bit different.

“There are two or three great teams who have a problem and we try to take their place now.

“But the most important things is our way because we are growing.

“For this it’s important the mentality.

“A lot of time I spoke with you about mentality and mentality is not only Saturday at three o’clock - mentality is Monday at 10 o’clock in the training session.

“It’s a Thursday at four o’clock in the night.

“You have to think the next game at all times and you can build the right mentality with the right attitude every day and in every session.

“When you arrive in this way, you are always ready to play the game – at night in the Carabao Cup, in the FA Cup and against Liverpool and against Charlton.

“I’m very happy. I am enjoying it a lot. I’m lucky to work with these players, in this club.

“And for me everything is fantastic at the moment.

“We have lost some games, we didn’t win a lot of times in our stadium and I’m sorry for this and we are working on this.

“We are focused on this. But I am enjoying a lot and if you ask me about the Premier League, about the UK, about my first period in in your country, I can speak in fantastic way.”

Good times. So fair play to Paul Belverstone of Premier League Productions as he asked: “How disappointing is it that things are going so well for you but this issue with Leo is grabbing so much attention?”

De Zerbi replied: “I would like to have a fantastic relationship with the players, all people.

“But sometimes I have to be different.

“I was a player and I know very well what is Brighton in terms of team, club, the level of Brighton.

“We need only players who think we have to win.

“Tomorrow we have to dream and to achieve the result tomorrow we have to work all day like my vision, my way.”