Former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill heaped praise on Nicolas Jackson after his performance against West Ham United in the Premier League. He scored twice and provided an assist in a 3-0 win for the Blues at the London Stadium on Saturday, September 21.
The west London side signed Jackson from Villarreal in the summer of 2023. Despite registering 14 goals and five assists in 35 league games last season, he faced criticism for inconsistency and lack of a clinical edge. The club were also linked with a number of strikers in the summer but failed to sign any.
Gary Cahill now believes that Jackson could become the main striker Chelsea are looking for if he continues to grow. He said on NBC Sports (via Metro):
“He’s a young boy, he’s still learning. I liked his game today for a number of reasons: his finishes and the two goals that he scored, of course, but I liked the way he was willing to run in behind, he was dropping deep at times to link up the play.
“I thought his all-round play was superb. He looks a confident boy so I don’t think that noise around him will bother him too much and it’s all about doing his talking on the pitch. His numbers are looking good at the moment.”
When asked if the Blues should still actively look for a new striker and if Jackson can take up that role, Cahill said:
“I think there’s a long way to go and obviously that No.9 shirt is very heavy. But he’s doing fantastically well and with the attacking options that they have as well, you saw today the bench: they have options there in all the attacking areas.
“So no, I think he’s more than capable of taking that No.9 shirt and running with it. Staying fit and healthy is key but going back to his numbers, he’s done superbly.”
Jackson has scored four goals and provided two assists in six games across competitions for Chelsea so far this season.
Chelsea continue their rebuild under Enzo Maresca with win over West Ham
Chelsea didn’t have a good start to the season under Enzo Maresca as they lost 2-0 against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. They then beat Servette 2-0 in their UEFA Europa Conference League first leg before smashing Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-2. However, they lost 2-1 against Servette in the second leg but qualified on aggregate.
The Blues then drew 1-1 against Crystal Palace but have won their next two matches. They beat Bournemouth 1-0 before hammering West Ham United on Saturday. Nicolas Jackson scored a brace (4′, 18′) against the Hammers before setting one up for Cole Palmer (47′) to secure all three points.
Chelsea will next host EFL League Two side Barrow at Stamford Bridge in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday, September 24. They will then host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on September 28.
