Mauricio Pochettino felt tonight’s narrow victory over AFC Wimbledon underlined the competitive nature of cup football in this country.

Reacting to our 2-1 success, secured by substitute Enzo Fernandez, the head coach praised his whole squad’s efforts to come from behind against determined opposition.

‘It was tough but we really enjoyed it,’ said Pochettino.

‘I am happy with the performance overall. We were competitive and we deserve to be in the next round.

‘There were many players who made their debut here at Stamford Bridge. There are many positive things.’


The likes of Enzo, Nicolas Jackson and Moises Caicedo came off the bench after Pochettino selected an inexperienced starting XI

‘We have a squad and there were players resting on the bench if we needed. They were fresh to go into the game and in the end help the team achieve what we wanted.

‘It is always difficult to play against a team like this. That is the beauty of the cups. They are in League Two with motivation and desire.’

Levi Colwill was substituted in some pain and went straight down the tunnel

‘He’s not injured, was only a kick,’ reported Pochettino.

‘It’s not a big issue, just a small problem. He got some ice on his ankle but it’s not going to be a problem for the weekend.’


We have been drawn to play Brighton at home in round three and Pochettino provided his reaction

‘Now it’s about thinking about Saturday’s game. When we arrive to Brighton we will talk about that, but if you want to win the competition you need to beat all the teams.

‘We will play at home and for sure when the moment arrives we will give our best.’