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.
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.
Chelsea ease Poch pressure as they progress
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.
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