"I should have scored more with the chances I missed" - Nicolas Jackson makes honest assessment about his first season as a Chelsea player
Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson recently opened up about his first season at Stamford Bridge, where he has struggled to score major chances in the Premier League.
Jackson has managed only one goal and two assists in his last eight games across all competitions, with his only goal coming against their recent 6-0 win over Everton. He has certainly found chances, but putting them into the net has been a problem for the 22-year-old striker. This season has seen him score 10 goals from an xG of 14.75 in the Premier League.
Clearly, Nicolas Jackson has not lived up to the expectations with his goalscoring, and he recognizes this. The forward spoke to Sky Sports about his debut season in the Premier League and how he has struggled to score efficiently.
He said (via GOAL):
"I think I should have scored more with the chances I missed. It’s good, but not what I wanted to be when I came - to play Champions League next season. Everything happens for a reason and we try to fight next year. Even if I scored 10 or 15, the most important thing is for the team to be as high as possible and make the fans happy. Then the goals will come.
"Trying to improve every day. The most important [thing] is being available for the team, helping the team and playing. I miss a lot but I’m trying to create more chances and score more. Hopefully, next year it’s going to be better."
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino slams VAR after Aston Villa draw
Mauricio Pochettino has spoken out against the use of VAR after the Blues saw a late goal disallowed by the technology in their 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.
It was the Villans who scored first, thanks to an own goal from Marc Cucurella. They seemed to have sealed the win in the first half as they added another goal to the scoreline to make it 2-0. However, in the second half, Chelsea came out all guns blazing, fighting back with two goals to mark a draw instead of a loss.
A very late chance notably saw Pochettino's men go ahead, as Axel Disasi headed the ball into the net and turned to celebrate. However, VAR revealed there was a foul by Benoit Badiashile in the buildup, causing fury from the Chelsea manager.
Pochettino told the press afterwards (via Supersport):
"They didn't see a foul on the pitch and then VAR changed the decision of the referee. For me that was a normal challenge. It is painful as it has damaged English football. Villa's players and their fans didn't understand why the goal was disallowed."
He added:
"For me it damaged a little bit the Premier League. If we want to be the best league in the world it should be protecting the spectacle and the decision."
Chelsea have a London derby against Tottenham coming up on May 2, and Mauricio Pochettino will have to make do with VAR potentially affecting the match yet again.