For the best part of an hour, Preston performed in a manner that suggested Stamford Bridge could be the scene of some FA Cup magic.
Then Chelsea flexed their muscles and quickly killed off that prospect with three goals in 11 tie-ending minutes before adding a late fourth.
It was looking tricky for Chelsea as they struggled for a long while to break down Ryan Lowe’s Championship side.
They were impressive and Chelsea the opposite.
But their four-goal margin of victory in the end made it an ultimately comfortable win and ideal start to an important few days in the cup competitions which represent Chelsea’s best chance of success this season and getting into Europe next term, which the hierarchy are expecting.
Against Preston it was a place in the fourth round up for grabs.
On Tuesday it is the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals against another second tier side in Middlesbrough and an opportunity to take a giant step towards Wembley.
Eventually and not without difficulty, it was one down for Chelsea and Pochettino.
The first goal was headed in by Armando Broja, an important deadlock-breaking goal for him as well as Chelsea.
The burden for scoring goals, and to prove to Chelsea’s owners they do not yet need to invest in a new striker, will be on his shoulders for the foreseeable future with Nicolas Jackson away at AFCON with Senegal. This was a good start.
Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling then put the result beyond doubt before Enzo Fernandez made it 4-0 late on.
This was a big occasion for academy defender Alfie Gilchrist who was handed his first start by Pochettino.
His tenacious style had quickly endeared him to Chelsea supporters in his two previous cameos off the bench.
A Cruyff turn to get out of a tight spot and set Chelsea on the attack was another moment to lift he crowd.
It was Gilchrist too whose proactive defending sparked this game into life. A cross-field Preston was intercepted by Gilchrist who was on the front foot and alert.
He traded passes with Raheem Sterling before the England winger saw his eventual shot loop up into the air for Freddie Woodman to grab.
The two sides went on to trade chances during the rest of the half with Preston more than holding their own even if Chelsea unsurprisingly dominated possession.
