When it finally arrived the goal could not have been more out of keeping with Chelsea’s recent attacking efforts. There was a deft assist from Cole Palmer, who impressed on his first start since joining from Manchester City, but what stood out even more was Nicolas Jackson casting the doubts aside, taking the ball on the run and finding the ruthlessness to send Brighton out of the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Was this really Chelsea? It has not been easy to keep the faith with Mauricio Pochettino’s blunt side. Chelsea, who had gone three games without finding the back of the net, had felt the gloom deepening after losing to Aston Villa. There were even concerns that the men’s team would not be contributing any entries to the club’s goal of the month competition for September.
