Nicolas Jackson praised the Blues’ resilience and teamwork as we secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brentford in a win that showcased both aspects under head coach Enzo Maresca.
Marc Cucurella headed home Noni Madueke’s cross to score his first Premier League goal for Chelsea and finally give use the lead our first-half dominance deserved just before half-time.
The Blues continued to control things early in the second half but the Bees grew into the contest and battled hard to get back into the match, with Robert Sanchez on call to make a fingertip save to maintain our slender margin.
It was left to Jackson to convert his ninth Premier League goal of the season 10 minutes from time to ease the pressure at the Bridge and see us over the line, even though it was a nervy finish as Brentford eventually scored a consolation in the 90th minute.
The Senegalese frontman was pleased with his side’s efforts especially considering the quality of our west London neighbours.
‘It’s a very big win,’ said the striker. ‘It wasn’t an easy win because they are a difficult team to play against, but the most important thing is we got the three points in the end, so we’re happy.
‘In the first half, we controlled it, we scored, and then the game was a little bit open. We got the second one, and in the last minutes it was difficult as they wanted another one, but thank God we got the three points.’
Our visitor’s approach to the contest, particularly their aerial threat and effectiveness from set-pieces, posed significant challenges throughout the match according to Jackson.
The 23-year-old acknowledged the difficulties presented by the Bees but highlighted the Blues’ determination to stick to Maresca's instructions.
‘It’s difficult because they play with set-pieces and they put a lot of balls into the box,’ he explained.
‘It was a very hard game, but we are delighted to win. The key was listening to the manager and respecting the plan, and we did exactly that.’
During the second half, Jackson had missed an earlier opportunity to double our tally but kept his composure and remained determined to make that all-important impact later.
‘I missed that one, but the only thing I was thinking about was getting another chance,’ he said. ‘I wanted to score to help the team win. God helped me, and I did exactly that.’
Reflecting on his personal growth this season, the Senegalese forward noted his progress under Maresca. He added: ‘It’s all about football and getting more experience. Last season was different from this season because I was new here, but now as I’m playing, I’m getting more confident, so I’m very happy to score again.
‘We are getting to know each other better. The players are listening to the manager. We are just concentrating on going forward.’