Having seen off early Brighton pressure, Sona Bompastor's side broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Alyssa Thompson powerfully headed home a cross from Sandy Baltimore. However, there was a quick response from the Seagulls as Carla Camacho equalised with a shot from distance.

As the opening period was drawing to a close, we re-established our lead. A cross from Sandy Baltimore was turned into the path of Potter inside the penalty area, and the 19-year-old confidently found the corner from six yards to open her Blues account.

The second period was, on the whole, uneventful as we saw out the victory in front of the home supporters. The game was by no means a classic, but Bompastor will be grateful to claim three points without major drama.

Strong Seagulls start

Bompastor made three changes to the side that started the Women's League Cup final: Aggie Beever-Jones, Wieke Kaptein and Potter came in for Kadeisha Buchanan, Erin Cuthbert and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.

Our head coach highlighted in her pre-match press conference that Brighton would have 'fresh legs' in their first match after the international break, and the Seagulls mounted the first meaningful attack of the match.

Camacho burst into the box and fired a right-footed shot towards goal but Veerle Buurman stood strong and made a key block. It was then up to Lucy Bronze to intervene, and she slid in at the near post to divert a shot behind for a corner.

Two in quick succession

It was, however, the clinical Blues that opened the scoring. Lauren James played a smart backheel to Baltimore on the left flank, and the France international teased a cross into the centre of the box. Thompson reacted quickest to head home.

Our lead was short-lived, though, as Camacho found herself in space outside the box and hit a speculative effort towards goal, which bobbled up awkwardly, clipped the post and ended in Hannah Hampton's net.

Baltimore was causing the away side problems down the left and played in another threatening cross right into the danger area, but Brighton goalkeeper Nnadozie got to the ball a fraction before Kaptein and punched clear just as the midfielder was about to head into an empty net.

Back ahead

The visitors went close once more when Rachel McLauchlan shot just over the bar, but the Blues retook the lead just before the break. Potter marked her first WSL start for Chelsea with her maiden goal for the club, finishingly emphatically from six yards.

Potter's goal meant the Blues went in at half-time in front, and in the early stages of the second half, we looked to keep the play tight and preserve our advantage.

With an hour gone, Thompson shot just wide of the right-hand post, but the game was being played out mainly in the middle third of the park.

Seeing out the win

Bompastor made alterations to her side when she replaced James with Buchanan and Thompson with Cuthbert, but still, both sides cancelled each other out.

The Chelsea supporters at Kingsmeadow thought we had added a second late on when Beever-Jones finished after being put through on goal, but the offside flag was raised and the referee's whistle was blown as the forward released her shot.

Brighton did look to apply late pressure, and there was a collective deep intake of breath when the visitors delivered a dangerous corner in the dying moments, but Hampton scooped out the effort before it could dip under the crossbar.

Yet the post-game plaudits belong to Chelsea Academy graduate Potter, who looked strong and assured throughout her second Chelsea start and netted what turned out to be our winner.

What it means...

Chelsea move into second place in the WSL table, one point above rivals Manchester United, with 17 games now played.

What comes next...

We take on London City Lionesses at The Den in WSL action on Saturday at 12pm.

The teams

Chelsea: Hampton, Bronze, Buurman, Baltimore, Nusken, Walsh (c), Potter, James (Buchanan 57), Thompson (Cuthbert 65), Kaptein (Sarwie 84), Beever-Jones
Unused subs: Spencer, Peng, Shooter, Storey
Scorers: Thompson 13, Potter 39
Booked: Nusken 32, Kaptein 34, Bronze 72

Brighton: Nnadozie, Vanegas, Symonds (c), Cankovic, Kirby (Tvedten 84), Noordam (Kafaji 67), Hayes, Olislagers (Mpome 67), Haley, Camacho (Rayner h-t), McLauchlin (Auee 84)
Unused subs: Baggaley,Poulter, Tsunoda, Warren
Scorers: Camacho 17
Booked: Vanegas 20, Rayner 55, Mpome 80

Referee: Stacey Pearson