Chelsea fought back from 2-0 down to record a significant 4-3 win over Tottenham on Sunday.
It felt like a coming of age moment for this young Chelsea side, who took all three points back to west London thanks to goals from Jadon Sancho, Enzo Fernandez and a double from Cole Palmer.
The result leaves Chelsea second in the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca seems to have injected some maturity into Chelsea – although Nicolas Jackson still needed consoling from the Italian after cutting an emotional figure on Sunday.
What fan footage captured Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Maresca doing
Three minutes after Fernandez scored to put Chelsea 3-2 up, the Senegal international was replaced by Christopher Nkunku.
It signalled the end of a quiet afternoon from Jackson, who failed to register a shot on target, nor did he record a key pass or a successful dribble.
The Chelsea No.15 was clearly disappointed in himself, as he trudged over towards the away end at full-time, far behind the rest of his celebrating teammates, with his head down in apparent dejection.
However, Maresca could tell his £32m striker was unhappy after a quick glance over his shoulder, and decided to jog over to console him – as you can see below.
It was good of the 44-year-old to put his arm around Jackson’s shoulder in support, walking him over to the away end to lap up the adoration from Chelsea supporters, having still played his part in an important victory.
Chelsea No.15 clearly sets high standards for himself
Jackson – who Maresca called “fantastic” – has been superb so far this season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in 14 Premier League appearances.
The 23-year-old has clearly grown as a player from last term, and while he was not at his best against Tottenham on Sunday, he still contributed to a vital win and should feel entitled to celebrate.
Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, interacts with Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea after the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea...
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
However, the fact Jackson – who Ally McCoist admires – could not bring himself to be cheerful shows just how highly he is setting the bar for himself this season.
There is nothing wrong with that whatsoever – although Maresca needs to keep an eye on his striker to make sure he doesn’t end up hurting the team with his obvious desire to score goals.
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