Chelsea MUST capitalise on their Carabao Cup win over Brighton to avoid falling into a bottom-half scrap… with the Blues set for a NIGHTMARE run after the international break

• Chelsea beat Roberto De Zerbi’s side at home in the third round of Carabao Cup 
• But points from now until December may be few and fire between in a dismal run 
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

The goal was accompanied by a collective sigh of relief. With just days to go, Nicolas Jackson had supplied Chelsea with their solitary entry for goal of the month. 

After three consecutive losses with no goals scored, Chelsea appeared at their lowest ebb since the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino in July. The Argentine manager oversaw a zippy pre-season campaign, but quickly, it was clear that the Blues had failed to shake off the troubles that peppered last season, despite a blockbuster summer window. 

Being pulled out of the pot for the Carabao Cup alongside Brighton was, therefore, no cause for celebration. Roberto De Zerbi’s side sit third in the Premier League and have made a habit of showing the west London club that there are some things money can’t buy. 

But in an imperfect, ragged clash, Chelsea finally came off the better, putting them one step further into a competition that could yet prove crucial for their European hopes next season, and providing a vital morale boost. 

With a lack of good results named as a reason for sapping confidence, it could be that Wednesday night’s performance marks a sea change for the west London club. Meeting neighbours Fulham after their patchy start to the season, which has seen them win just once since the start of their campaign, comes at a good time. As does a trip to Burnley, who are currently languishing in 19th place with just a single point. 

Chelsea supporters breathed a monumental sigh of relief as Mauricio Pochettino’s side ended their winless, goalless run against in-form Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night

Chelsea currently sit 15th in the Premier League and are keen to turn around their ailing season

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Pochettino (pictured) has urged his players to see the win as a turning point before a tricky run

During the subsequent international break, perhaps, 15th-placed Chelsea might even start dreaming of the top-half of the table.  

But not so fast. Chelsea have scant opportunity to rest on their laurels, with those points against Fulham and Burnley non-negotiable if they have a hope of making it through one of the most challenging fixture runs in the league awaiting the club after the break. 

Chelsea’s horror run 

Arsenal (H), October 21

Brentford (H), October 28

Tottenham (A), November 6

Manchester City (H), November 12

Newcastle (A), November 25

Brighton (H), December 2

Manchester United (A), December 6

Even if morale is high after three consecutive wins, Arsenal will prove an enormous test for the west London side. 

Last season’s home clash saw the Blues let the scrappy tie slip through their fingers as they conceded a 63rd-minute goal to Gabriel that they were unable to offer a response to in a tie that would foreshadow Chelsea’s inability to reverse their fortunes mid-match for the rest of the season. 

As well as increasing their potency with a raft of impressive new recruits, Arsenal have an strong record at Stamford Bridge – although a number of sides can increasingly claim the same – having gone unbeaten in their last four trips west. The Blues will only hope that Kai Havertz doesn’t opt to return to the ground with a point to prove to cap what should be a must-win game for the title-challengers. 

The club has seen out a number of gritty matches against Brentford, which have as much determined on which way the wind was blowing that evening as either side’s quality in deciding a winner, but Thomas Frank’s side increasingly represents the battling upstart that Chelsea have been unable to subdue on home soil. 

However, sneaking a win against the Bees – who have seen a checkered start to their season with consecutive defeats against Newcastle, Arsenal, and more surprisingly, Everton in their last three games, and could still be without a slew of starters including Mikkel Damsgaard, Rico Henry, Ben Mee, and Kevin Schade – may not prove impossible. Particularly if Mikel Arteta’s side haven’t dented Chelsea’s pride too significantly. 

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have petrified Chelsea at home in recent seasons and look threatening

Former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz will return to Stamford Bridge for the first time since move

Points against Brentford, and a hearty win against Blackburn Rovers, who will have a giant-killing on their minds, in the Carabao Cup are all but mandatory before facing Tottenham and Manchester City. 

Ange Postecoglou has sprinkled his stardust on a beleaguered Spurs side in a fashion that will have made their crosstown rivals green with envy. In fewer than eight competitive starts, the head coach already has fans dreaming of a top-four finish, the budding confidence and team spirit in his new-look outfit equally encouraging. With seemingly straightforward ties against Luton, Fulham, and Crystal Palace warming up the squad to face Pochettino’s men, Chelsea are unlikely to look forward to a comfortable trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ditto welcoming Pep Guardiola’s Treble winners to west London. It might take little short of an exorcism to banish the demons of last season’s meetings, which saw the two teams line up against one another a somewhat sadistic five times through Carabao Cup and FA Cup configurations. Needless to say, Man City accrued an 8-0 aggregate victory. 

The third international break comes at a useful time for Chelsea, with the domestic lull perhaps providing an opportunity for absent players to prepare for full fitness after the pause. It may be too early for the return of Christopher Nkunku – more and more seen as a magic bullet for the club’s goalscoring woes – but by mid-November, barring any additional setbacks, Pochettino might be able to call upon Romeo Lavia to bolster his ranks. 

The strongest possible squad will be needed for Newcastle at St James’ Park, a fearsome prospect that last season only Arsenal and Liverpool were capable of overcoming. There may be some comfort by then in the Magpies’ packed fixture schedule, with Carabao Cup and Champions League football still on the menu, but it’s difficult to envisage a show-stopping win. Hard too for when Brighton return to London seeking revenge, but De Zerbi’s men may have started to long for weeks without European competition as the weather turns colder. 

The final prospect in Chelsea’s horror run is curious one. Like Chelsea, Manchester United slipped into the bottom-half of the table this season, and despite clambering up to ninth after a less-than convincing win against Burnley, are yet to shake off suggestions of a looming crisis at Old Trafford. But the Red Devils have proved they can knuckle down and win when it counts, brushing aside Premier League opposition Crystal Palace 3-0 to spark their Carabao Cup defence on Tuesday evening. 

As their tough fixture run intensifies, Chelsea will hope to call on injured captain Reece James

Manchester United are experiencing a season almost as topsy-turvy as Chelsea’s – but Mason Mount (left) will hope to show his former club what they are missing out on when they meet

Without getting into the predictions game, it’s safest to prepare for a draw: the two teams saw out five consecutive ties in the league on the trot before Erik ten Hag’s team thrashed Frank Lampard’s 4-1 in May. 

Even if Chelsea think on the positive side of realism, the treacherous run might only yield up to five points. Without collecting all three points against Burnley and Fulham, the Blues could find themselves in a tussle with not only Everton and Wolves, snapping at their heels on four points, but the teams below them: Bournemouth, and relegation-zoned Luton, Burnley, and Sheffield United. 

More worryingly, all five clubs are in for a more straightforward time during the run.  

None of the clubs below Chelsea have as many current top-five opposition to face as the Blues, who only miss out on meeting Liverpool during the period. Chelsea also face four of the ‘Big Six’, although, their founding membership may suggest the grouping has had its day. 

Burnley and Bournemouth will only face one top-five opponent, and Luton just one more, with the Cherries nicely poised to challenge Everton before the break and Wolves and Burnley after it before their trip to the Etihad at the start of November. Only two points behind Chelsea, it would only take one or two results their way to threaten the side they held to a draw two weeks ago. 

Concerningly, Chelsea’s potential to win against Fulham and Burnley is far from a foregone conclusion. It was Jackson who proved the difference-maker against Brighton, and Jackson they will be without, after the former Villarreal striker picked up a fifth yellow card against Aston Villa to keep him on the sidelines for three matches. 

And whilst strong results will breed confidence, it still remains to be seen who else Chelsea can rely upon for something close to consistent goal threat. Mykhailo Mudryk played his part against the Seagulls but lacked the clinical edge, and although Cole Palmer provided the crafty assist to set up Jackson, the former Manchester City man continues to look – as many Chelsea players do – tongue-tied in front of goal, preferring to pass and hope than roll the dice in the box. Academy starlet Armando Broja has come back from a longstanding injury, but only for roughly 17 minutes. 

Bournemouth have a good chance of overleaping Chelsea if the Blues fail to make strides

Nicolas Jackson (right) scored the only goal in September but will be banned for three matches

There is also a worrying lack of maturity and cool-headedness in the team, as evidenced by Jackson’s dismissal, and the sort of hardiness needed to see out grinding, undazzling victories. Chelsea’s squad is no doubt packed with talent, but great swathes are untested: not for nothing did their manager hint that the side needed to ‘grow up’.  

But Pochettino remains indefatigable in defence of his project. Amidst the unending injury list, the constant turnover, and the worst start to a season at the club since 1978, he has urged that Wednesday night’s win can be a turning point to the Blues’ woe-begotten fortunes. 

‘It must be, it must be,’ he said at full-time. ‘It’s about time’. 

Only when the final whistle blows against Manchester United on December 6 will we know if his excitement was justified – or premature. 

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