Roberto De Zerbi has created a force to be reckoned since his arrival at Brighton, securing Europa League football last season and is on course to do something similar this campaign.
Yet, it seems that Fulham have been a thorn in the side for the Seagulls in recent years, as the south coast side have failed to record a win against the Cottagers in their last four Premier League encounters.
Two of these have been losses, whilst the other two have ended with the points being shared.
One of these draws came in their last meeting in October, with the scoreline ending 1-1 thanks to a Joao Palhinha rocket late on in the game.
Alongside his spectacular strike, the Portuguese star recorded the most tackles in a Premier League game this season, indicating how fundamental he is to Marco Silva's side.
However, he will be unavailable to select on Saturday, as he will be serving the last of a two-match ban that he received against Aston Villa almost two weeks ago.
-
How can De Zerbi exploit Palhinha's absence?
The 44-year-old Italian enjoys playing possession-based football, mixed with playing fast through the middle and down the left-hand side.
His side thrive through individual skill and create most of their chances through the use of brilliance from technical players.
Julio Enciso, Ansu Fati and Simon Adingra are just a handful of the attacking talent he has to choose from when it comes to selecting his side on Saturday, and all can cause issues.
Fulham tend to utilise a low-block shape when transitioning from attack, and due to Palhinha playing in a defensive midfield two, he is deployed to double up on wingers.
The absence of Palhinha will mean that doubling up on the Brighton attackers will become harder for Silva's side and weaken these areas in defence.
De Zerbi will be able to exploit these frailties, unlike last time around when Palhinha played the full 90 and consistently won the ball.
-
How will Silva fill the role of the 28-year-old?
Palhinha's role is very hard to fill, due to his tackling talent.
Last season he recorded the most tackles in the entire league and is in the lead again this time around, currently sitting on 105.
Despite his absence, Fulham still managed to raise eyebrows after beating Manchester United 2-1 last week at Old Trafford with Serbia international Sasa Lukic filling the void.
In the game, Lukic recorded a pass completion rate of 85.1% and managed to keep Kobbie Mainoo at bay as well.
Deployed in a defensive two alongside Harrison Reed, Lukic looked like the apprentice to Palhinha's tackling masterclass, due to how he managed to consistently subdue the threat of the Red Devils.
His defensive position allowed Reed to pick up the ball in space, allowing him to supply the likes of Andreas Pereira, Alexander Iwobi and Harry Wilson who were used as an attacking three.
29-year-old Reed picked up a knock late on in the tie after clashing heads with Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, meaning he is doubtful for Saturday's tie.
However, if Reed is made available, then there is every chance his partnership with Lukic can cause havoc in midfield, and cause frustration for De Zerbi's side yet again.
