Albion sustain a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as they exit the Carabao cup in the third round, writes Anujit Vijayakumar.

A well-constructed move by former Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo and Ian Maatsen found Cole Palmer right outside the 18-yard box.

Palmer’s vision, decisive thinking, and decision-making spotted Nicolas Jackson in the box, who slotted the ball past Bart Verbruggen for his first goal of the season for Chelsea.

The Seagulls dominated the game from kick off.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men pulled the strings implementing their trademark high press, dismantling the Blues’ build-up in the process. Albeit Albion were resilient in their pursuit for a goal, creating a plethora of opportunities, they were unable to convert any of their chances on the night.

Former Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s mistake was the highlight of the first half as he gifted the ball away to Joao Pedro in the 24th minute. The Brazilian however, was unable to exploit the error as his chip went over the crossbar.

Carlos Baleba’s first start of the season for the Seagulls was eventful.

Although the Cameroonian international picked up a booking in the 42nd minute, he imposed his presence in midfield, constantly breathing down Caicedo’s neck throughout the first half.

One such instance resulted in Caicedo being stripped of the ball leading to a goal scoring opportunity for Ansu Fati, whose effort was saved by Sanchez.

The Seagulls now face an arduous test in the form of Aston Villa at Villa Park this Saturday.