Chelsea continues to struggle in the bottom half of the table. After a disappointing 2022–23 campaign, the Blues made some massive changes to their team. Since Todd Boehly’s arrival, a lot of signings have been made. Chelsea are a completely new team with new faces. With just five points in the first five games, there is a lot of tension in the club.
The injuries and form of some of the players are also reasons behind these early struggles. The Blues failed to convert chances in the last campaign and invested in bringing some new and fresh faces to the attack. Nicolas Jackson was signed from Villareal in the summer, and in the pre-season, he showed why Chelsea were interested in him. However, he has failed to replicate the form in the English Premier League, and the Blues are in the bottom half. Here is a look at why this Senegalese striker needs to show his class in the upcoming games.
First season in England
Chelsea were looking to add a forward throughout the summer. Romelu Lukaku was not going to stay, and the club knew that they had to find someone young and a player who could lead the attack for the next 5–10 seasons. Jackson came to England and faced Liverpool in the first game. He got a taste of the action against one of the biggest clubs in the country. Nicolas Jackson plays as a lone striker, and he likes to drift a little bit towards the left side.
Nicolas Jackson has plenty of chances, but his failure to find the back of the net is what will haunt him. The striker has made 18 attempts and managed to hit the target six times. He scored his first goal against Luton Town after some brilliance by Raheem Sterling. Despite having a high xG per shot, Jackson has failed to convert chances from close range as well.
Pre-season form
Nicolas Jackson played in five pre-season games for the Blues. He spent 262 minutes on the field and scored a couple of goals. Jackson also showed his creative side and provided three assists.
The shot map shows that Jackson only took seven shots, with an average of over two shots per 90 minutes. Of these seven shots, three were on target.
The 22-year-old also created five clear goal-scoring chances in the five games. He was calm and composed in and around the opposition penalty box.
Jackson also made 11 progressive runs in the pre-season. A few of these runs came from the left side, and the player had a dribble success rate of 64.3%. He has made 14 progressive runs in the league, and that too in double time compared to the pre-season.
Nicolas Jackson is adjusting to the English Premier League. He has shown that he has the potential, but Chelsea needs more goals from their new number nine. The Blues will be fresh for their weekend fixture and hope that Jackson finds the back of the net and secures three points.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
