How long have Chelsea needed this? The Blues haven’t really had a reliable striker since Diego Costa, with a series of imperfect fits and promising players all struggling to inherit the central role in the side. It’s very early days, but Jackson looks like he might just be able to make it work.
He was up for it from the first minute on Wednesday. The former Villarreal man was caught offside while trying to dart beyond the Newcastle defence early on. But five minutes later, he timed his run to perfection, receiving a pass in stride and putting his side 1-0 ahead.
There was more to his performance than just goals, though. Jackson never stopped moving and got Fabian Schar booked after forcing the centre-back into a rash challenge. He also almost grabbed himself an assist after a fine piece of work on the right wing, too. These are small moments, but ones Chelsea fans can get excited about. Jackson could be the solution to a problem they’ve had for years.
Much has been made of Chelsea’s striker hunt this year, with a number of big names linked, but they might just have bought the right man already. Nicolas Jackson was once again impressive for the Blues, scoring the opener and proving a constant menace in an otherwise drab 1-1 draw with Newcastle.
The former Villarreal man continued his good run of form, opening the scoring inside 15 minutes, scampering beyond the Newcastle backline and finishing off a neat pass from Ian Maatsen. Chelsea could’ve had a second shortly after, but Christopher Nkunku dragged his effort just wide of the post.
Newcastle levelled things right before the break, with former Atlanta United winger Miguel Almiron grabbing a goal at his former home.
