Pochettino pleased with Chelsea mentality after third-straight home win

Mauricio Pochettino said he is pleased to see Chelsea start to build some form at home after Wednesday night's narrow 2-1 win over Crystal Palace earned a third straight Premier League victory at Stamford Bridge.

Following what Pochettino described as a "nervous" start, Chelsea soon took control of the game and went ahead through Mykhailo Mudryk, the Ukrainian winger expertly set up by French full-back Malo Gusto, who impressed throughout.

The Blues looked in total control for much of the remainder of the first half but once again, familiar problems at either end of the pitch proved costly. Several chances to extend their lead were squandered before a defensive lapse left Michel Olisie unmarked at the back post as the French forward finished superbly to level moments before the break.

The equalising goal shifted the dynamic for the second half as Chelsea struggled to maintain their dominance, despite controlling possession, while Palace provided plenty of threat on the counter-attack.

Still, the hosts had two excellent chances to retake the lead, both through striker Nicolas Jackson. The Senegalese first missed a simple chance when his clipped effort sailed wide of the post; he thought he made amends with a first-time finish from Thiago Silva's deep cross but was marginally offside.

Another frustrating performance and result looked in store for Chelsea, until substitute Noni Madueke turned the game in their favour in the final few minutes when the English winger was fouled just inside the Palace penalty area by Eberechi Eze. After a VAR check, the penalty was awarded and Madueke stepped up to calmly slot past Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

"I said it was Conor [Gallagher's penalty], but I said to Conor if Noni was