Former Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge has come to the defense of Nicolas Jackson, emphasizing the young forward’s importance in Enzo Maresca’s system and criticizing the media for being overly harsh on him.
Chelsea suffered their second loss of the season, falling 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield, but there were signs of promise for the team’s future. Maresca made bold lineup decisions, including Reece James’ immediate return to the starting XI and opting for Romeo Lavia over Enzo Fernandez in midfield.
Sturridge believes Jackson plays a key role in Chelsea’s strategy, despite the team’s defeat. The Blues dominated the first 30 minutes, but a foul by Levi Colwill on Curtis Jones led to Mohamed Salah scoring from the penalty spot. Chelsea fought back in the second half with Jackson scoring a well-placed goal past Caoimhin Kelleher to level the match. However, Liverpool regained the lead after sloppy defending allowed Jones to score again, leaving Chelsea chasing the game.
Despite pushing for an equalizer, Chelsea couldn’t create many clear opportunities, with Renato Veiga’s header being their best chance. Jackson’s goal, his fifth in eight matches, continued his strong start to the season. Sturridge feels that criticism of the 23-year-old has been unfair.
“Nicolas Jackson is crucial to the system, particularly in the false nine role,” Sturridge said on Sky Sports, quoted by X.com. “It was a brilliant, composed finish. I’m evaluating him based on his overall play, not just statistics. While he’s not yet prolific in front of goal, I believe he has the potential to get there.”
“When you play at a top club, you’re often compared to legends like Drogba, Anelka, and Crespo. I think we’ve been overly critical of Jackson because of that.”
Jackson’s early season form suggests that Chelsea’s failure to sign a striker this summer may not have been a disaster after all. He’ll have another chance to build on his goal tally in the Conference League match against Panathinaikos, although he is expected to start on the bench.
