Alan Pardew, a former Premier League coach, believes Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea is critical to Chelsea’s victory over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. The 22-year-old has been in excellent form since returning from the African Cup of Nations in early February.
Alan Pardew on Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson, who is 22 years old, has been noticed for playing well for Chelsea since he came back from the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this month. Even though some people have criticized him during his first season playing in England, he’s still managed to score nine goals and make three assists. He did really well in the recent match against Manchester City, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Pardew praised Jackson for how he played against City. He also mentioned that Chelsea could win against Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on February 25 if Jackson plays as well as he did in that game.
“And Jackson yesterday put on a fantastic centre-forward’s performance, by the way, which I didn’t think he had in him. I thought he was absolutely brilliant yesterday. If he produces that on Sunday, then they have got a chance,” Pardew said to talkSPORT.
Alan Pardew: “I thought Jackson played the centre-forward role [against Man City] the best he’s played since he’s been Chelsea. He linked the game.
Jackson, in my opinion, is the key [against Liverpool]. If he can link the game like he did Saturday, he really linked it well,… pic.twitter.com/UcioceVaHR
— Vince™ (@Blue_Footy) February 20, 2024
Mauricio Pochettino will want the young forward to help Chelsea win the Carabao Cup. This would be Chelsea’s first time winning since 2015, and it would also be Pochettino’s first trophy as a manager in England.
Jackson came to Chelsea from Villarreal last summer for about €35 million. Since then, he’s scored nine goals and helped with three assists in 27 games in different competitions.
Meanwhile, even though the match against Man City ended in a 1-1 draw, Chelsea’s manager Mauricio Pochettino was happy with how hard his players worked and their determination. He said this after the game.
“Today was a great performance. We scored first and the first half was a very good game. I’m so pleased and I told the players this and congratulate them because the effort was massive. The spirit we showed today is the way we want to compete. With the talent we have in all the areas, we will reach the level we expect. I’m so pleased because to play a team that is the best in the world is never easy, and today the character and personality the team showed made me very happy,” he said.
