Jackson eyes personal goal but no more penalty spats
Nicolas Jackson is determined to finish his first season at Chelsea on a high and will not risk that by repeating the penalty row that took the shine off another encouraging personal performance against Everton on Monday night.
Jackson is trying to finish the season with 15 or more Premier League goals and feels that 20 in all competitions may even be achievable, with Chelsea taking on Manchester City in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
That may explain why Jackson was so keen to take the penalty against Everton, which Noni Madueke initially wanted and Cole Palmer eventually scored, and why he was upset at being substituted before the final whistle, having netted his 10th league goal of the campaign, his 13th in all competitions.
Jackson has equalled the number of league goals Didier Drogba scored in his first season at Chelsea and is only three behind his full total of 16.
Jackson was calmed down by his team-mate and close friend Moises Caicedo on the Stamford Bridge pitch after the final whistle on Monday and is believed to have taken on board head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s
warning that there must be no repeat of the penalty spat which involved Jackson and Madueke.
Pochettino has now made it clear publicly that Palmer is the designated penalty-taker.
Madueke has scored two penalties for Chelsea this season, both when Palmer was not on the pitch and one of which, in the 89th minute against Crystal Palace, came when Jackson was also playing.
Jackson saw his instincts as a natural striker and goalscorer called into question earlier in the season, and there may also have been a misguided desire to prove his appetite for goals by attempting to take what would have been his first penalty of the season against Everton.
Pochettino’s response to Jackson and Madueke arguing over Monday’s penalty was in contrast to him refusing to criticise Raheem Sterling for taking a penalty against Leicester in the FA Cup last month after asking for the ball from Palmer.
Sterling, though, was booed by some Chelsea fans and is yet to start a game since the Leicester tie. Jackson is not expected to do anything now that could risk his place in the team or his relationship with supporters, whom he has been working hard to try to win over.