Former Chelsea star Pat Nevin has praised Nicolas Jackson and believes the striker is really improving as a player this season.
Jackson arrived at Chelsea from Spanish side Villarreal in the summer of 2023 in a deal worth £32m and impressed in his debut season.
The 23-year-old scored 17 goals in all competitions, 14 of those in the Premier League and was rewarded with a two year contract extension for his efforts, tying him to the club until 2033.
Nevin believes Jackson is really improving
A lot was made of Chelsea’s failure to sign a striker in the summer, but Jackson’s start to the season, coupled with the goal scoring form of Christopher Nkunku shows that may not have been a bad thing.
The Senegal international, who scored his first goal for the national team during the break has four goals and three assists in seven games this season.
Jackson has been criticised for his finishing and has missed a number of chances during his time in England, but there have been signs this season he’s improving in that area, as shown with his two goals in the win against West ham.
Nevin, who also thinks Joao Felix is going to prove a lot of people wrong believes Jackson has really improved as a player.
“You look up front at Jackson, the amount of chances he missed, the amount of great positions he got into with his staggering pace, it is staggering his pace, but then blew it time and time again,” he told BBC Sport.
“He’s getting better at that now. He’s running at you in more intelligent areas.
“If you watch Liverpool or Chelsea over the years and you’ve watched some centre-forwards, it’s not always just about getting the ball up to them for a tap-in.
“Look, you need to drive players away, you need to make good space, and that’s what he’s beginning to learn.”
Jackson will likely lead the line again against Liverpool on Sunday and he will need to be at his best if he’s to have any success, as the Reds have the best defence in the league with just two goals conceded in seven games.
