Nicolas Jackson’s return to the Chelsea team on Thursday night coincided with an important win against Tottenham.
Chelsea are back up to fourth in the Premier League after securing a 1-0 victory at home to Spurs, with Enzo Fernandez popping up with the match-winning goal.
It was a significant boost to see Nicolas Jackson, 23, back in the Blues starting line-up. The centre-forward started in the league win over Spurs, which was his first appearance since 3 February because of a hamstring injury.
When you consider Jackson was playing his first minutes in two months, it was a really impressive display from him in midweek.
Jackson scored highly in Chelsea’s player ratings versus Spurs after his contribution when leading the line. He occupied the opposition backline with some great movement, plus he hit the woodwork in the early stages.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink claims Nicolas Jackson creates a lot of chances for himself
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the former Chelsea striker, praised Jackson straight after his display against Spurs. He even made the interesting observation that the Senegal international does “a lot” of work where he creates something out of nothing.
Hasselbaink said via the Premier League’s official website (10:33pm, 3 April): “[Nicolas Jackson] is important to the team, he brings a lot of energy, he gives them something different. He needs to get better at converting his chances but he creates his own chances a lot of the time. He puts defenders on the back foot.”
The eye test has told everyone in the last couple of months how much Jackson has been missed.
Even though he’s not been a prolific scorer this season, netting nine goals in 25 games across all competitions, he’s such a handful in attack. We agree that quite often he creates chances for himself.
| Minutes played | Total shots | Accurate passes | Touches in opposition box | Big chances missed | Was fouled | Offsides | Match rating |
| 82 | 2 | 8/10 (80%) | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6.4 |
Speaking earlier in the season, Marc Cucurella applauded Jackson because he insists his Chelsea teammate gives so much to the team even when he’s not scoring.
We’re convinced that there’s an important role for Jackson at the club moving forward. In an ideal world, the club will sign a more prolific goalscorer to help ease the burden.
Enzo Maresca’s reaction to Nicolas Jackson display against Tottenham
In his post-match interview, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was extremely positive about Jackson’s contribution on his return to the team.
“Nico for us, I’ve said many times since we started, that he is an important player because he’s a threat for the defensive line,” Maresca said via Chelsea’s official website.
“Off the ball he’s pressing everyone. For sure with Nico we are a different team.”
Without a doubt, Chelsea are far more threatening when Jackson is in this current side. One of the biggest reasons is because he’s got a great connection and understanding with Cole Palmer.
Palmer and Jackson are close, speaking regularly and even messaging after games. If they can stay fit for the rest of the season, it’ll be great news for everyone at Stamford Bridge.
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