Mauricio Pochettino has bagged another win as Chelsea manager, his third official win since taking over as the Blues boss.
The win is courtesy of a sole Nicolas Jackson strike in the 50th minute of their EFL (Carabao) Cup third-round clash with Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday 27 September 2023.
The match was Pochettino’s eighth official game in charge of the Stamford Bridge outfit and it came at a time when his effectiveness as Chelsea manager was being questioned.
The Argentine manager has been unable to get Chelsea firing on all cylinders. In the Premier League, they have won just one out of six fixtures and are 14th on the log as a result. Many reasons have been put forth for the former Tottenham Hotspur manager’s poor start to the season with some even suggesting that he could be axed in coming weeks.
This win gives the 51-year-old some breathing space and the manager, who had previously stated that all has been going to plan but the team’s finishing, has expressed happiness and relief over getting the win.
For the past two seasons, beating Brighton in any competition is now a litmus test for how well a team will do. The Blues victory over Roberto De Zerbi’s men has also given Chelsea fans a little bit of hope in Pochettino’s ability to take the club back to the top.
Speaking after the game, Pochettino expressed hopes that his team will build upon the win as they return to Premier League action at the weekend.
“It was a good response from the team; I’m very pleased with the performance again,” explained Pochettino. “’I’m happy for the victory and I think it’s important to go through in the competition, build our trust and the momentum. Hopefully, we can take this momentum into the future.
“It’s never easy to play in the situation and circumstance. Today was a must-win.
“Of course, the uncertainty and sometimes the pressure to win means not to be perfect in our positions [on the pitch]. But I think in the second half we dominated the game and fully deserved the victory.”
Jackson, the goalscorer, was at his very best in the game. He finished a brilliant pass from Cole Palmer to open the scoring and added a second minutes later which was ruled out for offside. Pochettino praised the striker for his second official Chelsea goal and also hoped that the form would carry over into the Premier League.
“I’m very pleased for him,” said Pochettino. “When a striker scores it’s always important. He needed to feel the net. It was an important game for him.”
The win was marred by a late incident which saw injury-prone left-back Ben Chilwell taken off in stoppage time. Fears about another long-term injury have arisen among the fanbase and Pochettino stated that the club will come out with a statement as soon as they get proper feedback.
The Argentine manager, however, noted that the issue looks like a hamstring issue.
