Joe Cole reserved special praise for Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson after he starred during a big win in Europe on Thursday night.
Chelsea surely have one foot in the Conference League final after an emphatic 4-1 away victory over Djurgarden in the first leg of the semi-final clash.
The Blues produced a professional job after arriving in Stockholm to face Swedish opposition Djurgarden, who play on an artificial pitch.
Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke both scored in the opening 45 minutes. In the second half, Nicolas Jackson stole the headlines with a brace to make it three goals in his last two matches across all competitions.
Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Joe Cole highlights Nicolas Jackson as so crucial to Chelsea
Joe Cole, the former Blues star, was full of praise for Jackson after his two-goal performance versus Djurgarden.
Even though the 23-year-old striker does sometimes receive criticism in the media, Cole believes he’s a vital figure in Enzo Maresca’s starting line-up, largely because of his extremely high work rate and great movement.
Cole said on TNT Sports 4 (10:10pm, 1 May): “What I would say about Jackson is he’s made himself one of Chelsea’s most important players.
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“Because he does this, he doesn’t give up. He’s hard work. He’s aggressive. All the things – he might not be as measured as other players, but he gives you this. Nothing is better when you’re behind him as a midfielder when you’ve got a centre-forward who will chase down everything. It’s fantastic.”
Jackson added another two goals to his season’s tally in midweek.
First of all, the Senegal international showed an incredible appetite to chase down an overhit pass, and he got his reward to tap in a simple finish after a mix-up in the Djurgarden defence. His second goal was a lot more stylish, producing a magnificent left-footed finish into the top corner after a bit of skill to create space just inside the penalty box.
Competition Appearances Goals
Premier League 28 10
Conference League 2 2
Conference League qualifiers 1 0
FA Cup 0 0
Carabao Cup 0 0
Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson across all competitions in the 2024/25 season
Chelsea still have high hopes for Nicolas Jackson, even though their priority is to sign a centre-forward at the end of the season.
Without a doubt, we think Jackson’s got the individual ability to play an important role for the Blues moving forward. He just needs a bit more help at the top end of the pitch because his finishing can be erratic.
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Nicolas Jackson is perfectly timing return to form
It’s fair to point out that Jackson started a bit slowly after returning from a hamstring injury at the start of April.
Thankfully, the £32m Chelsea frontman (The Guardian) is definitely beginning to rediscover his rhythm, which is great news going into the crunch stage of the season.
If the Blues are to win the Conference League and qualify for the Champions League via the Premier League’s top five positions, Jackson could end up playing a significant role in the remaining games.
Pat Nevin mentioned Nicolas Jackson’s return for Chelsea as a significant moment in their season.
When the Blues host Liverpool on Sunday in an important league fixture, Jackson goes into it with extra confidence after his goals against Djurgarden and Everton in the past week.