Chelsea were fortunate to run out 4-1 winners in a chaotic London derby against Tottenham on Monday night.
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Although the scoreline suggests the Blues cruised to a comfortable victory, the complexion and outcome of the match would have been a whole lot different if Christian Romero and Destiny Udogie hadn't cost their team by recklessly getting themselves sent off.
Spurs started like a house on fire, taking the lead through Dejan Kulusevksi inside six minutes, but the dismissal of Romero took the sting out of their attacking play before Udogie curtailed their chances of victory completely.
Despite facing a side reduced to nine men, Mauricio Pochettino's troops struggled to break through by forcing the issue instead of patiently carving their openings and it was that rashness in possession that highlighted their inexperience.
When they did eventually breach Tottenham's high line, Nicolas Jackson was on the right end of the fortune for once as he fired in a hat-trick to clinch victory.
Nicolas Jackson's statistics vs Tottenham
After receiving criticism for his performance in the 2-0 defeat against Brentford, Pochettino publicly came to the defence of the 22-year-old.
He told Chelsea's official website: "This is one game. He can’t lie, it wasn’t his best. But if you watch Dortmund or Liverpool you will see one player, and the Brentford game was another player.
"He was doing his best and we need to recover the player that he was. I believe in him. The only thing we need to do is give him time."
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Jackson has found life difficult but having scored a hat-trick in a London derby, regardless if it was against nine men or not, the youngster would have felt a huge weight drop off his shoulders.
Aside from headlining the back pages with his goals, the Senegalese international was particularly impressive with his linkup play and explosive ball-carrying, accurately placing 91% of his passes and successfully completing three of his four attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.
Nicolas Jackson's numbers vs Spurs
Touches 26
Pass Accuracy
10/11 (91%)
Expected Goals (xG)
2.77
Duels Won
3/10
Big Chances Missed
1
Dribble Success
3/4 (75%)
Shots on target
5
Stats via Sofascore
Whilst Pochettino was proven right to trust Jackson, who took his goal tally from two for the season to five on the night, there was another hero pulling the strings in Blue.
Cole Palmer's statistics vs Tottenham
Cole Palmer has become a revelation in west London since joining from Manchester City in the summer and performances like the one against Spurs demonstrate why he is worth every penny of the £42.5m spent.
The 21-year-old was a constant threat in between the thirds, evidenced by his ability to control the ball in tight spaces and showcase his exceptional dribbling, which saw him successfully complete four of his five attempted dribbles.
Whilst the Englishman stood out more against nine men, dispatching the penalty from Romero's resulting challenge and supplying the assist for Jackson's hat-trick goal, Palmer's role in the outcome of the match was pivotal.
Cole Palmer's numbers vs Spurs
Minuted Played
90
Touches
71
Accurate Passes
41/51 (80%)
Goals
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
1
Dribble Success
4/5
Duels Won
6/9
Possession Lost
17x
Defensive Actions
3
Stats via Sofascore
This is best illuminated by his infectious pressing without the ball and his attention to detail - as taught by Pep Guardiola - in possession.
The "special talent", as dubbed by journalist Alex Goldberg, demonstrated his willingness to press by winning six of his nine ground duels while stepping up to the plate in possession by taking risks and finding his teammates with three of his four attempted long balls.
Although Chelsea can count themselves fortunate to win by a three-goal margin against their rivals, the performances of Palmer and Jackson, in particular, will offer them encouragement ahead of their difficult fixture against Manchester City on Sunday.