Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson scored his first Premier League goal since mid-December as the Blues defeated Everton to fuel their UEFA Champions League hopes, but the Senegal striker may yet be coming to the end of the road at Stamford Bridge.
You have to go all the way back to a 2-1 victory over Brentford, over four months ago, for a Jackson goal, his longest run in the top flight without scoring.
On that occasion, the 23-year-old bagged an 80th-minute winner as Enzo Maresca’s side moved to 34 points, two behind Liverpool having played a game more, and appearing firmly in the title mix.
At that point, Jackson was in the finest goalscoring run of his Chelsea career, scoring nine in his previous 14 league matches. Three assists during that period established him as one of the most effective attacking players in England during the opening months of the campaign.
Jackson appeared primed to spearhead a title charge; no other team had scored more than Chelsea’s 51 goals since May, nor won more matches (15) during the preceding seven months.
However, both player and club have fallen on leaner times in the intervening months. Barring assists against Bournemouth and for Noni Madueke early in a 3-1 defeat by Manchester City 11 days later, Jackson failed to make an impact before a hamstring injury in early February sidelined him for two months.
It would be an easy narrative to suggest that this is where the Blues’ season began to flounder, but in truth, Jackson’s efficacy in front of goal had been on the wane and Chelsea had dropped to sixth at the time of his injury.
Nine goals in his first 15 PL games of 24-25, but none in the next eight before he was injured early in the second-half against West Ham United, with Chelsea winning just two games during that run.
Indeed, with Jackson firing, the Blues had averaged 2.3 goals per game during the first 16 matches of the campaign, but this had dropped to 1.25 per game between his last goal against Brentford and his injury.
The writing was on the wall.
Nonetheless, his setback was clearly a blow for Chelsea, as, with teenage striker Marc Guiu also absent and Christopher Nkunku an uncomfortable solution, the Londoners found their attacking options reduced even further… a baffling scenario for a squad built at such eye-watering expense.
In the next two months, before Jackson’s return to action on April 3, they’d average 1.2 goals per game across the next five matches, numbers massaged by a 4-0 victory against hapless Southampton.
Against Brighton and Arsenal, the Blues drew a blank, compounded by Cole Palmer’s dip in form and meagre contributions from Pedro Neto and Nkunku.
The absence of Madueke, also injured, hardly helped, although perhaps it was Jackson’s broader contribution – his work without the ball – that was truly missed by Chelsea, with Palmer a shadow.
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What has happened to ‘invisible’ Cole Palmer?
Steve Nicol reacts to Cole Palmer’s performance in Chelsea’s 1-0 win vs. Everton.
Pre-Jackson’s injury, the influential England playmaker had had a hand in 20 goals (14 scored, six assists) in 24 Prem appearances. Even when the goals dried up for the Senegal frontman, Palmer remained productive, notably returning to something closer to his top form in the December victories over Aston Villa and Spurs.
Without Jackson, however, Palmer also suffered. In the seven matches played between mid-February and the striker’s return against Tottenham in early April, the 22-year-old failed to score or assist in seven matches.
It was an unprecedented run for the midfielder since he became the fulcrum of this Blues side last season, and Jackson’s absence was a major contributory factor.
Some may argue that Chelsea cannot function effectively with the clumsy Jackson leading the line, but here was evidence that the Blues certainly couldn’t function effectively without him leading the line!
Even though the West African may have received ridicule aplenty for his frequent missteps in front of goal and exasperating decision-making when one on one with the opposition goalkeeper, his self-sacrifice and relentless running helped open up and unsettle defences for Palmer to thrive.
The two enjoy an exceptional chemistry and mutual understanding – something Palmer has so far struggled to replicate with England, where Harry Kane lacks Jackson’s dynamism and work rate – while the Senegal forward also contributes those little subtle touches and expert link-play to get more out of his fellow attackers.
With Jackson stretching the play, running in behind, and troubling opposition defenders with his intelligent movement off the ball and sharp turn of pace, Palmer constantly found himself with passing options and, often, space in which to operate.
“Sometimes I think you need to play games without players to realise how important they are,” Maresca said of Jackson during his absence, although one suspects that Palmer didn’t require the proof to truly appreciate his teammate’s priceless contribution.
With Jackson absent and Palmer ineffectual, Chelsea have toiled, Maresca lacking the imagination or players (or both) to rediscover the consistency of late 2024.
Upon Jackson’s return, he was quickly back into the thick of the action against Spurs, and his impact was felt instantly on his comeback. Having given Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero cause for concern with his energy and dogged pressing during the early exchanges, both centrebacks were occupied marking the striker when a 50th-minute Palmer cross found Enzo Fernández to head in the winner.
No goal for Jackson, but a vital contribution nonetheless.
Against Ipswich, in a 2-2 draw on April 13, he was again guilty of missing a decent chance, but successfully ended his drought – ultimately stretching to 13 matches – in style with a fine low strike from range to open the scoring against Everton.
It was easy to sympathise with the young forward as he wheeled away, tears in his eyes, to celebrate with his teammates after finally getting the break his endeavour has surely deserved. This was his 24th Prem goal, and his first scored from outside the box.
In taking his tally to 10 for the season, Jackson becomes the first Chelsea player since club great Didier Drogba to hit double digits for goals in two consecutive campaigns.
“It’s a good achievement and I’m very happy, but it’s never enough, we want more,” he told the club’s website after the match.
“I’ve just come back from injury, and I’m getting back to my level. I was confident when I hit the ball, and it went in.”
Ultimately, however, Jackson’s performance – and goal – against Everton is unlikely to persuade the many who already believe that he is not – and may never be – the striker Chelsea crave to truly restore them to the pinnacle of the domestic game.
This week, yet again, transfer rumours linking Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen to Stamford Bridge continue to circulate, with Chelsea and Super Eagles legend John Obi Mikel even talking up a move to the Premier League on beINSports this weekend.
“[Osimhen] scores goals, and that’s what [Chelsea] have lacked this season,” Mikel began.
“When you look at Chelsea, we’ve one of the top teams to have missed the [most] big chances this season. We don’t score enough and that’s why we’re where we are today.
“That’s what [Osimhen] does. He scores goals, he wins you trophies, he puts you in the Top Four.”
A weekend of relief for Jackson, perhaps, but it remains to be seen whether he remains in pole position to be Chelsea’s long-term ‘number nine’ over the months to come.
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