🦁 Premier League Player of the Week: I'm sorry Mr Jackson | OneFootball

In the slew of new signings Chelsea made during the early days of the Todd Boehly revolution, perhaps none received the same ire as Nicolas Jackson from fans at Stamford Bridge and beyond.

The Senegal international joined from Villarreal in the summer of 2023 for a reported €40m and on an, at the time ridiculed, eight-year deal.

Jackson was nothing more than a middling success in Spain having scored 12 goals in 35 LaLiga appearances and it seemed for all the world as if the 23-year-old would be nothing more than a below-par disappointment in the Premier League as well.

In the cruel world of social media fandom Jackson quickly became a punchline for the west London side, receiving constant swipes after a catalogue of increasingly bizarre misses and no-show performances.

His maiden hat-trick against Tottenham in November last year was seeming more and more like an outlier with Mauricio Pochettino's side struggling under the weight of added expectation and a bloated squad.

So when Pochettino was sacked and replaced by Enzo Maresca this summer, the writing seemed like it might be on the wall for Jackson as Chelsea added forward talents like Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto and João Félix.

Nothing though, could be further from the truth.

Jackson has started every game under Maresca so far and, right now, is vying with Erling Haaland as the Premier League's premium marksman.

The west London side are currently fifth in the table, one point behind Arsenal and very much in the mix for a Champions League place.

That, in part, is down to Jackson and his remarkable confidence going into the new campaign and telepathy with Player of the Season Cole Palmer.

The Blues deadly duo were at it again this weekend as Newcastle came to the Bridge and were sent home packing by goals from the pair.

The first was a stunning team goal. Started by Palmer, the England international played a breathtaking pass to Pedro Neto who put on the afterburners and crossed for Jackson to finish first time.

It was his sixth goal of 2024/25 and his 14th goal involvement in 14 matches.

The second - although mostly of Palmer's doing - was also helped by Jackson's excellent movement as the Senegalese forward drifted into space and gave Dan Burn something to think about.

Before the giant Toon defender could then get back into position, Palmer fired in a low shot that nestled into the bottom left-hand corner.

It earned Chelsea their fifth win of the new term and should earn Jackson countless apologies from those who condemned him as a busted flush this time last year.

📸 JUSTIN TALLIS - AFP or licensors