Chelsea saw off Aston Villa comfortably in a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge earlier.
Nicolas Jackson got Chelsea off to a great start after scoring in the seventh minute before Enzo Fernandez doubled the Blues’ lead after the half-hour mark.
Cole Palmer then capped off a solid display with a fantastic strike in the second half.
It was his eighth goal of the season, while Jackson is also on eight following his strike. It was a game that boasted two of the best strikers in the Premier League, Jackson and Ollie Watkins, with the former coming out on top.
Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Aston Villa FC at Stamford Bridge on December 01, 2024 in Londo...
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
Nicolas Jackson outshines Ollie Watkins
Last season, Watkins was undoubtedly the superior forward out of the two, which was understandable.
Watkins is five years older than Jackson and the latter was playing in the Premier League for the first time.
Villa’s talisman scored 19 goals and registered 13 assists, while Chelsea’s first-choice No.9 recorded 14 and five.
However, fast forward to now, and Jackson looks like top dog. He took his goal earlier excellently, while Watkins’ striking was poor by his standards. The Englishman was eventually taken off after wasting several chances.
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Villa manager Unai Emery praised Jackson before the game, describing his former player’s attitude as “fantastic”.
Nicolas Jackson’s numbers vs Aston Villa
While Jackson certainly outperformed Watkins, he could have had an even better game.
The 23-year-old missed one big chance and failed to complete a single dribble after attempting two.
However, Jackson did well to score, with his xG only being 0.36 that game, while he also registered one key pass.
Nicolas Jackson’s stats against Aston Villa Total
Minutes played 71
Goals 1
xG 0.36
Assists 0
Big chances missed 1
Key passes 1
Dribbles attempted (completed) 2 (0)
Via Sofascore
Overall, Enzo Maresca can be pleased with Jackson’s performance. It was not his best in a blue shirt, but he managed to get the job done for his side, whereas Watkins could not.
Last season, you would have been saying the opposite. But as of now, Jackson is the more in-form striker, scoring a couple of more goals than his Villa counterpart this term.
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