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Nicolas Jackson's commendable preseason suggests the new Chelsea arrival should start the Premier League season as the club's central striker. However, the prospect of an injury could leave Mauricio Pochettino's team in dire straits.
There is a feeling that any Nicolas Jackson verdict must be reached at the culmination of the Chelsea forward’s debut Premier League campaign.
The last few months at Villarreal represent a small sample, likewise the off-season with the Blues. Be that as it may, the signs are promising.
Nicolas Jackson’s LaLiga upswing
If nine goals in the last eight LaLiga games of his breakout season seemed streaky, the Senegal international’s pre-season was more realistic. Jackson netted six match-winning strikes in the previous season, only two fewer than Pichichi winner Robert Lewandowski and Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias and one behind Antoine Griezmann.
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The importance of his goals were not lost on anyone, but the kind of goal netted by the forward doubly caught the eye.
Pulse Sports analysed Jackson’s goals before his transfer to Chelsea, with the forward’s penchant for scoring from high-value areas noticeable.
The fact that the young striker was not wholly dependent on service was evident. At times, Jackson’s movement off the ball meant he was positioned for a tap-in from close range. On other occasions, the erstwhile Villarreal man’s brilliance saw him transform mildly threatening situations into high-quality scoring chances.
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22:28 - 21.06.2023
ANALYSIS Why are Chelsea targeting Nicolas Jackson?
Jackson was relatively unknown to many until the final months of last season. Should the West London club be chasing the Villarreal frontman?
At a time when transfer fees are frustratingly inflated, securing Jackson for a little over his £30.1m release clause was a low-risk call for a player with a whopping upside. Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, described Jackson as “a young player with big potential”, and this was swiftly evident in the West London club’s USA tour.
How Nicolas Jackson thrived in Chelsea’s pre-season
Surrounded by a young group, Jackson was one of the high-performing players in a promising tour under Mauricio Pochettino.
We already knew of the 22-year-old’s menace in attacking transitions or counter-attacking situations, but the combination with teammates in tight spaces and selflessness offer another side to the striker.
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08:36 - 27.07.2023
WATCH: Chelsea new boy Nicolas Jackson scores brilliant goal to continue RED-HOT form
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson continued his fine form since joining the club, with a well-taken goal against Newcastle.
It took only three minutes into Chelsea’s first tune-up against Wrexham for Jackson to assist Ian Maatsen after a swift attacking transition.
After Cesare Casadei’s interception won possession in the middle third, Diego Moreira played an immediate pass to Jackson, who carried the ball aggressively, weaved past Ben Tozer and passed to the versatile Maatsen after sucking several defenders in.
In Chelsea’s final game of the off-season against Borussia Dortmund, a goal-mouth block denied Carney Chukwuemeka a goal after being set up by Jackson.
It materialised after another attacking transition originating in the middle third. After Reece James got a toe onto the ball to prevent Dortmund’s attack, the Blues released Raheem Sterling down the right, whose ball across to Jackson was slightly overhit.
Rather than shoot at goal himself, the Senegal international passed to Chukwuemeka, but a well-positioned Ramy Bensebaini prevented the Blues from finishing that swift break.
Jackson’s best moment of pre-season arguably came against Brighton & Hove Albion, when he set up Mykhailo Mudryk’s first Chelsea goal.
After working the ball to Mudryk on the left wing, Jackson recognised the space a 10-man Brighton side had left and dropped into that location to receive the Ukraine international’s pass.
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The players combined with a couple of give-and-goes before Mudryk powered a first-time effort beyond Bart Verbruggen to make it 2-1 to the Blues.
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The striker’s goals against Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United had him running through after well-weighted balls for 1v1s against the opposing goalkeepers, but the supreme encouragement was the striker’s budding understanding and combination play with several teammates.
This was evident in what turned out to be the most disappointing moment for Pochettino’s side in the USA; a smooth combination with marquee arrival Christopher Nkunku against last term’s Bundesliga runners-up.
The former RB Leipzig man seemingly had nowhere to go before Jackson found a pocket of space.
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The Senegalese then held on to possession and released the Frenchman, who returned the favour to set up the striker only to have his shot saved by Alexander Meyer.
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Nkunku injured his knee after an innocuous collision with Mats Hummels, ruling out the attacker for around 16 weeks.
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17:00 - 08.08.2023
Pochettino hopeful as injured Nkunku feared to be out until December
Nkunku suffered a meniscus injury during Chelsea's friendly against Borussia Dortmund which takes upto 16 weeks to heal.
Could Nkunku’s injury indirectly affect Jackson’s game time?
What is the upshot of Nkunku’s injury for Chelsea and Jackson? The former Paris Saint-Germain man was an option up top, even if his best showings in the offseason came playing off Jackson.
The aftermath of the Frenchman’s layoff brought about a rise in Dusan Vlahovic links to West London, even if that deal seems dead in the water — partly down to the Blues’ unwillingness to include Romelu Lukaku and the Serbian’s recent injury bugbear.
Pulse Sports highlighted other reasons why swooping for the Juventus man was a deviation from the new owners’ direction and the repercussions it could have for Jackson.
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06:00 - 13.07.2023
Vlahovic to Chelsea would be a risk and a deviation from the Boehly-Clearlake strategy
Vlahovic has been linked to Chelsea, but should the Premier League club be chasing the Juventus frontman?
Frankly, the club are in a complicated situation. Making assumptions from preseason games are misguided, but the Senegal striker’s off-season showings have made him the frontrunner to lead the side’s attack in 2023-24.
However, the club are one Jackson injury away from a centre-forward crisis. And next year’s Africa Cup of Nations could leave Pochettino without the striker for a month if the Lions of Teranga do not suffer an early exit.
Jackson already had injury worries in 2022-23, with a hamstring and hip issue halting a move to Bournemouth at the turn of the year. Any recurrence puts Chelsea in dire straits.
Armando Broja theoretically could deputise for the summer arrival, even if his non-involvement on the club’s US tour — to continue his rehabilitation after suffering a knee injury last December — means the Albanian is playing catch-up. He is not someone the club want to rush back due to the nature of last year’s injury.
Jackson was not expected to make such an immediate impact on the side — yet his impressive tune-up showings have elevated him to a starting berth at Chelsea.
The club’s co-sporting directors believed the erstwhile Villarreal man was ready to take the next step in his career, but even they must be surprised at his impact and then some.
He deserves to lead the line, but the risks of not having another body — to mitigate any injuries to Jackson or the striker’s expected AFCON participation — could make or mar the club’s Champions League push.
It is not as straightforward a decision to make as some believe.
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