Unai Emery has been speaking about his former player Nicolas Jackson ahead of Sunday’s clash between Chelsea and Aston Villa.
The Blues are currently three points ahead of Villa, who are one of their main competitors for Champions League qualification.
Chelsea are fourth in the league with Villa eighth, although they have won their last two visits to Stamford Bridge and will be hoping to make it three in a row.
Emery on working with Jackson
The game will see Jackson and Emery reunite with the pair having worked together for a season at Villarreal before the Senegal international made a £32m switch to Chelsea in the summer of 2023.
Emery actually gave Jackson his Villarreal debut and the 23-year-old also thanked his former boss when he signed his new two year contract extension earlier this year.
The Villa boss has been speaking about Jackson in the build-up to the game and revealed what aspects of his game they worked on and praised his “fantastic” attitude.
Unai Emery and Nicolas Jackson on the touchline for Villareal. (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Jackson and Emery worked together at Villarreal. (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
“He was starting the pre-season with the U21s and when he was progressively coming to train with us, he was showing his potential,” Emery told Sky Sports.
“We worked during the one year on his skill, he improved his understanding better, how he could exploit his potential. And playing minutes and getting experiences was the next step.
“But his attitude as well was fantastic. He was always learning. He was always demanding to train more, to be focused. He was also being a professional every day out of training sessions at home because he was focused on football like the first priority in his life.
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“And the consequences is coming. It’s coming because he signed for Chelsea. Last year he was adapting so quick, but he was progressively getting better, sometimes without the performance and now he is showing.”
Jackson has improved massively this season with Martin Keown describing him as one of the most feared strikers in the league and he will be hoping to add to his goal tally against his former boss.