Chelsea vs Brighton and Hove Albion. Carabao Cup Round 3.
Stamford BridgeAttendance37,516.
Match report and free match highlights from the Carabao Cup third-round clash between Chelsea and Brighton at Stamford Bridge as Nicolas Jackson's goal steered the Blues into the last 16 of the competition.
Thursday 28 September 2023 06:52, UK
Nicolas Jackson fired Chelsea into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as they beat Brighton 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.
The victory helped ease some of the early pressure on Mauricio Pochettino after a difficult start in the Premier League, with their passage to the last 16 of the competition sealed early in the second half.
It was also a vital goal for Jackson, just his second since arriving at Chelsea in the summer. They will now face Championship side Blackburn in the next round.
However a satisfying night for Chelsea came with a late sting in the tail as Ben Chilwell was forced off late in the game, with Pochettino later saying the left-back had suffered a suspected hamstring injury.
Brighton will have been frustrated to lose, particularly after missing two glorious chances in the first half. But with the Europa League to contend with this season alongside their brilliant start in the league, an early exit may have been a blessing in disguise for Roberto De Zerbi and his side.
Robert Sanchez swapped Brighton for Chelsea in the summer, but you would have been forgiven for thinking he was still working for the former in the first half.
On two occasions his misplaced passing presented glorious opportunities for Brighton. At first he gave the ball straight to Joao Pedro, only for the striker to dink onto the bar from the edge of the box.
Then he gave Moises Caicedo - another former Seagull - the ball in a hapless position, with the midfielder dispossessed only to be spared by the fact that Ansu Fati wasn't then clinical enough.
Brighton would pay for those missed chances early in the second half as Chelsea took the lead. A fine team move culminated in the impressive Cole Palmer feeding a pass into Jackson - who finished coolly into the bottom corner from just inside the box.
Palmer had to make do with three appearances off the bench in the Premier League since arriving at Chelsea, but it will be tough for Mauricio Pochettino to overlook him again for a place in his starting XI when they head to Fulham on Monday night.
The former Manchester City man was at the heart of everything Chelsea did well in an attacking sense, and teed up the first goal they have scored since his arrivival at the club.
The 21-year-old is silky with his feet, incisive with his passing, and also possesses presence and power in his game. Wednesday night could have been the start of a fruitful Chelsea career.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino:
"I think all of the team was really good. Cole Palmer is a very talented player and was key in this victory. He is still young and still needs to settle in the club - not only the team, the city.
"It was a good response from the team, I am very pleased with the performance. It was important to go through and now I hope we can keep this momentum."
On Ben Chilwell's late injury:
"It needs assessing but looks like a hamstring injury."
Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi:
"I think we played well enough to win the game but to win we have to score a goal and we didn't in the first half when we had our chances. Then we conceded in the second half. It might have been offside, but I don't want to speak about referees or VAR.
"I'm disappointed about the result because I wanted to compete in all four competitions. I felt the side we put out was enough to win the game. We came here to win and move forward in this cup."
Both sides are back in Premier League action next. Brighton head to Aston Villa for a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday. Chelsea visit local rivals Fulham on Monday Night Football - live on Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30pm, with kick-off at 8pm.
