Following the Blues’ defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday night, Craig Burley remarked that he has never seen a player seem as scared as one Chelsea star appears to.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side had a dreadful trip to the Emirates, as Arsenal won 5-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League standings.
Of course, the score was emphatic. But it appeared to be all to play for at halftime, with Arsenal up 1-0 and Chelsea generating some issues for Mikel Arteta’s side.
After Arsenal took the lead in the fourth minute through Leandro Trossard, the Blues gradually gained control of the match. Chelsea, on the other hand, frequently messed up their lines when given the opportunity to put David Raya to the test.
The crucial moment occurred when Nicolas Jackson appeared to have a header on the brink of the six-yard box.
Raya was eventually able to perform a simple save. Jackson had used his hand, not his head, to send the ball towards the goal.
Nicolas Jackson chastised following Chelsea’s defeat to Arsenal.
The £30 million man appeared to be apprehensive about getting caught by Gabriel Magalhaes, as the Arsenal defender attempted to hook the ball away.
Jackson was also extremely fortunate not to receive a red card for an early challenge on Takehiro Tomiyasu. Craig Burley, who gave the forward a 1/10 rating on ESPN, expressed surprise with his performance.
“It should have been a red card, but I only got a yellow. Tomiyasu went directly over the ball and got away with it. He was at Wembley Stadium over the weekend, and he wouldn’t have been able to find the goal if the pyrotechnics were going off behind it. Then he goes to Arsenal, where he receives one of the season’s best passes and instead of heading it in, he raises his hand. “This guy, Nico Jackson, I’ve never seen a player who is almost terrified when he gets in front of the net,” he added.
“How is that not red? This guy makes Kai Havertz appear prolific. He had an absolute beast over the weekend. He’s had a beast for much of the season.
“Yes, he will handle the channels. He received one for being able to run about and exert some effort. Oh, my God. I apologise. This is not a one-off. This refers to the entire period.
“Like I said, he’s making Kai Havertz look like a goal-scoring machine. “That is how bad he is.”
The Blues’ summer priority could not be more clear.
It would be asking for trouble if Chelsea did not make changes up front before the following season. Jackson does not appear to be the forward who can propel the Blues back into the Premier League title picture.
He has still scored ten goals in the league. According to FBRef, only Dominic Calvert-Lewin is underperforming in terms of predicted goals without penalties this season.
And it was concerning that he appeared to shy out of fully challenging for that header last night.
Most world-class strikers would probably not think twice about the possibility of getting clattered and injured. Instead, their instinct would be to try everything they could to hit the back of the net.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, Jackson is looking less and less like the ruthless goalscorer they so sorely require.
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