Chelsea are taking giant strides forward this season to compete back around the upper end of the Premier League table again, and Gary Lineker thinks one player has massively improved his game.
Chelsea finished sixth and 12th in the Premier League during the previous two campaigns. However, the Blues have seriously impressed to sit inside the top four going into an extremely busy December.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 8 | 18 | 34 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 25 |
| 3 |  ChelseaChelsea | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 25 |
| 4 |  BrightonBrighton | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 23 |
Liverpool manager Arne Slot insists Chelsea can enjoy a winning streak, so the runaway leaders still have plenty of work to do in the title race.
Gary Lineker recognises Nicolas Jackson improvement
Gary Lineker has praised Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson after his latest performance in Sunday’s 3-0 home win over Aston Villa.
The 23-year-old Blues striker scored again to chalk up his eighth league of the season.
Lineker said on The Rest Is Football: “Nicolas Jackson as well, another goal. I know he could probably have had one or two more, but he gets in positions. He likes to get in behind – eight goals in the Premier League this season. I think we all saw something in him, didn’t we? And he’s definitely gradually improving, getting better, more confident – another important goal for him.”
Joe Hart loved Jackson’s “really sharp” Chelsea goal against Villa, where he tucked in a clever left-footed finish in the box first time.
The Senegal international is proving he’s more than good enough to lead the line for the Blues every week.
Should Chelsea rest Nicolas Jackson vs Southampton?
Chelsea will look to continue their recent form, winning their last three consecutive matches across all competitions, when they travel to St Mary’s to play Southampton on Wednesday night.
Jackson has started every single league match this season, but he’s only one booking away from missing the weekend’s trip to Tottenham. Therefore, could it be a smart idea to play Christopher Nkunku in midweek and keep their first-choice striker on ice ready to play Spurs.
Gary Neville is delighted to see Jackson excelling for Chelsea because he didn’t thin he was the problem last season.
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