(Reuters) – Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said his team “fully deserved” Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup and hopes the result will help kickstart their stuttering Premier League campaign.
Nicolas Jackson scored in the 50th minute of the third round match as Chelsea earned their first win in four games in all competitions and set up a last-16 clash with Blackburn Rovers, which will be played in the week commencing Oct. 30.
Chelsea are 14th in the league after only one win from six games so far, having drawn two and lost three, and have managed just five goals in the competition.
“It was a good response from the team. I’m very pleased with the performance again,” Pochettino said. “I’m happy for the victory… Today was a must-win.
“In the second half we dominated the game and fully deserved the victory… 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.”
Left back Ben Chilwell was forced off late in the contest, with Pochettino saying it appeared to be a hamstring injury. The England defender missed several months of action last season, including the World Cup, due to a hamstring issue.
“We need to assess tomorrow,” Pochettino said. “But I think it’s a hamstring.”
Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday with a trip to Fulham.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
