Ex-Watford captain Troy Deeney has praised Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson for delivering a Man of the Match performance in the victory over West Ham United. Deeney believes the Blues may not need to sign another center-forward if Jackson keeps up the good work.
Nicolas Jackson Delivered A Stellar Performance Against West Ham United
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea secured a commanding 3-0 victory over West Ham United at London Stadium on Saturday, September 21. Jackson, who started in attack alongside Jadon Sancho, Cole Palmer, and Noni Madueke, was the star of the show, as he chipped with a brace and an assist.
It took Jackson only four minutes to get off the mark against the Hammers. Receiving the ball from Sancho, Jackson sprinted toward the goal and guided the ball beyond the goalkeeper to make it 1-0 for the visitors. He doubled his money 14 minutes later, once again running in behind the defense and slotting the ball behind the onrushing Alphonse Areola.
The former Villarreal striker added an assist to his brace in the 47th minute, sending Palmer through on goal with a perfectly weighted pass. The in-form Englishman made no mistake in tucking the ball away. Before coming off in the 64th minute, Jackson created two big chances, won a duel, and completed 14 of 17 passes.
Troy Deeney Says Chelsea Could Make Nicolas Jackson Their Permanent No. 9
Throughout the summer, Chelsea were linked with a move for Napoli ace Victor Osimhen. The Blues came close to sealing a transfer but the deal could not go through in time, leading to Osimhen’s loan move to Galatasaray. There is a chance that the two parties could restart talks when the winter transfer window opens on January 1.
Deeney, however, believes Chelsea may not need to go through the trouble of signing the Nigerian, not if Jackson keeps making a habit of delivering top-tier performances. In his BBC Sport column, Deeney wrote:
“This weekend is all about Jackson. Two great goals and an assist, all done before he was given a rest after 60 minutes. It was a fine day at the office for him.
“I’m quite critical of how many chances he misses for Chelsea and, if he wants to be the main man moving forward, he has to have more games like this. He grabbed hold of it, offered a threat in behind, and scored goals. Chelsea don’t need to buy another striker if he stays in this kind of form.”
Jackson, 23, has been at the club since moving from Villarreal last summer. He has so far played 50 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 21 times and providing eight assists.
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