Chelsea fans erupted as Nicolas Jackson was substituted in their 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The cheers indicated that the crowd was dissatisfied with the striker’s performance and missed scoring opportunities. Fans haven’t been very impressed with the performance of Jackson after his big-money move from Villareal this summer transfer window.
However, despite the criticism, Mauricio Pochettino defended Jackson, stating he’s good at scoring goals. The Chelsea manager has defended the striker repeatedly and has backed his potential.
Mauricio Pochettino defends Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea fans in the lower part of the Steve Bull Stand were unhappy when Nicolas Jackson was taken out of the game with 10 minutes left. This happened while Mauricio Pochettino’s team was experiencing their fourth straight loss in away games in the Premier League. However, the team’s issues go beyond just Jackson’s missed opportunities. They were beaten by Wolves, who demonstrated the strength of working together as a team.
Chelsea has not scored in 36 out of 57 good opportunities they had in the Premier League this season, which is more than any other team. Even Raheem Sterling missed chances. This loss marked their 19th defeat in the league this year, more than any other top-level club.
Jackson, who scored seven goals in his first 14 league games after joining from Villarreal for £35m in July, seemed to lose focus when Sterling set him up for a simple goal in the first 15 minutes. Pochettino supported the 22-year-old.
“If we compare Nico to different strikers that arrive at his age to a new league, he is scoring goals when you look at his performances,” Pochettino said.
“He is young, first PL season, the expectation is massive, we are Chelsea. Blame all together, not just one,” he added.
🔵 Pochettino on Nico Jackson: “If we compare Nico to different strikers that arrive at his age to a new league, he is scoring goals when you look at his performances”.
“He is young, first PL season, the expectation is massive, we are Chelsea. Blame all together, not just one”. pic.twitter.com/rqK7Jr2Iu8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 25, 2023
On a not-so-good day for Pochettino as the Blues boss, there was a positive moment when Christopher Nkunku played in the Premier League for the first time for the club and scored near the end of the game.
“I’m very pleased to see Nkunku score and it shows how important he can be for us. We cannot put too much pressure on him, he’s been out for a very long time and that is why he came on after 60 minutes – to help ease him in. He’s a quality player who can score goals and we are pleased he did that today, although of course we are disappointed not to win the game,” he further said.
