It might have all ended up a little more stressful than it needed to be, thanks to a momentary brain fade from Reece James, but Chelsea managed to hold on and pick up all three points against Brighton & Hove Albion last night.
Mauricio Pochettino's side are now undefeated in their last five Premier League games, winning the last four.
Moreover, thanks to Manchester United's win over Newcastle United last night, the Blues' chances of qualifying for the Europa League look much healthier than they did a couple of weeks ago.
The two goalscorers for the Pensioners, Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku, are, of course, getting plenty of plaudits, as they should, but there was another starter who was just as good on the South Coast.
Palmer and Nkunku's performance against Brighton
Both attackers were brilliant at the Amex, with the Englishman opening the scoring with a wonderfully placed looping header from a Marc Cucurella cross in the first half, while the Frenchman gave his side a much-needed buffer with his well-placed finish in the second half.
The pair impressed the Standard's Nizaar Kinsella, who awarded them both 8/10s on the night, writing that the former Manchester City prospect was 'elegant, classy and impactful in everything he did' and that the former RB Leipzig ace 'breathed new life into Chelsea's attack' when on the pitch.
It might sound over the top, but the pair's statistics from the match back up the journalist's opinion. For example, in Palmer's 89 minutes of action, he registered a combined expected goals and assists figure of 0.82, scored, took 46 touches, created one big chance, had two shots on target, and even made a clearance.
Minutes
89'
Minutes
48'
Goals
1
Goals
1
Expected Goals + Assists
0.82
Expected Goals + Assists
0.36
Touches
46
Key Passes
1
Big Chances Created
1
Tackles
2
Shots on Target
2
Shots on Target
1
Clearances
1
Blocked Shot
1
Whereas in just 48 minutes on the pitch, Nkunku registered an expected goal and assists figure of 0.36, took one shot on target, scored, played one key pass, made two tackles, and even blocked a shot from the Seagulls.
In all, it was a great display from both attackers, but there was another starter last night who should be getting just as much attention for his performance.
Trevoh Chalobah's performance against Brighton
Yes, the Blues ace who should be spoken about the same way as his goalscoring teammates today is centre-back Trevoh Chalobah.
The Cobham graduate might not have got on the scoresheet himself or even provided an assist like his full-back comrades, but his contribution at the back was invaluable and became especially so following Reece James' red card in the 88th minute.
Kinsella was undoubtedly impressed with the 6 foot 4 titan as he also gave him an 8/10 on the night, praising him for the countless 'incredible blocks and defensive interventions' he 'kept making' for the team.
Minutes
100'
Clearances
9
Blocks
1
Tackles
4
Last Man Tackles
1
Duels (Won)
6 (5)
Accurate Passes
67/73 (92%)
Dribbles (Completed)
1 (100%)
The journalist's appraisal of the 24-year-old's performance is not hyperbolic either. In his 100 minutes of action, the "ice cold" centre-back, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, made nine clearances, blocked one shot, made four tackles, including a last-man tackle, won five out of six duels, maintained a passing accuracy of 92%, and even completed 100% of his dribbles.
Ultimately, it was a truly titanic effort from the "monster" defender, as Kulig called him, and while he got the same match rating as Palmer and Nkunku, it probably should have been higher, as there wasn't a single thing wrong with his performance.
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