It is fair to say that Premier League legend Alan Shearer was not impressed with Nicolas Jackson’s miss in Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa last month.
The former Newcastle United striker recently wrote an article for The Athletic on how not to score a goal and included an opportunity Nicolas Jackson wasted as an example.
The 22-year-old is yet to hit top form for Chelsea, scoring just two goals in seven Premier League appearances.
The Blues signed him from Villarreal in a £32m deal during the summer, as reported by The Guardian.
Nicolas Jackson’s miss against Aston Villa
Jackson found himself one-v-one with Emiliano Martinez but squandered his chance, something Shearer was not impressed with.
In his Athletic article, he stated: “He has an unbelievable opportunity to shoot with his left boot and because he doesn’t want to do that, he causes himself a world of pain. It’s a natural desire to make life easier for yourself, but if the thinking here is that Jackson does this by allowing it to run across him, it’s completely flawed.
“Look at his positioning, his body, his shape, his lack of balance, his technique. It’s so poor.”
Nicolas Jackson has shown why Chelsea need Christopher Nkunku back
Honestly, with Jackson still being just 22, it is not a shock that he is missing good chances and looks a bit raw at moments.
With more time, the Senegal international should become a more proficient striker.
His struggles this season, though, show that Chelsea really need Nkunku back. The 25-year-old is obviously a much more seasoned forward than his team-mate and could have helped ease the pressure on him.
His injury at the end of the Blues’ pre-season was a huge setback for Mauricio Pochettino, but hopefully the Argentine will have him as an option soon.
Until then, Jackson is going to have to deal with the pressure of being the lead man in Chelsea’s attack, though the likes of Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer should continue to help him out.
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