Chelsea are shaping into a serious team under the management of Enzo Maresca. West Ham United were dispatched with ease last weekend to extend the Blues’ unbeaten run in the Premier League to four matches.
Things are all starting to come together and there’s a real sense that this latest iteration of the new era in west London could finally breed some success.
The Blues finished sixth under Mauricio Pochettino last season but were bumped from Europa to Conference League qualification after Manchester United, who finished eighth, defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Chelsea lacked composure in front of goal, with centre-forward Nicolas Jackson showing promise but plenty of profligacy after signing from Villarreal when a fee in excess of his £30m release clause was paid.
How Nicolas Jackson is improving
Jackson showed his potential for Chelsea last season, scoring 17 goals and claiming six assists across 44 fixtures in all competitions. However, he could have had much, much more.
As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old missed a whopping 24 big chances in the Premier League last term, scoring 14 goals but leaving plenty to be desired. Still, his lofty potential was quickly identifiable.
Speaking to talkSPORT on the striker last year, former Chelsea star Scott Minto said: “I really like Nicolas Jackson, and I think if you give him time, he will be a top Premier League striker.
“I look at him and his strong, he is fast, he has defenders hanging off him, he’s sharp, and wants to work back for the team. The only thing he is lacking at the moment, is sticking the ball in the back of the net.”
And indeed he’s now starting to grow into his skin. Across just five Premier League outings in 2024/25, Jackson has notched four goals and two assists, so far missing only two big chances.
Jackson has hit 25 direct goal contributions in the Premier League (18 goals and seven assists across 40 appearances) and, perhaps not that surprisingly, ten of them have been a direct link-up with Cole Palmer.
The fulcrum of Chelsea’s attack, Palmer is truly one of the finest players in the division and makes such a difference. This season, the 22-year-old has already posted two goals and four assists from just five matches in the top flight.
He’s not at his free-scoring best just yet, however, and there’s a former Chelsea forward who’s matching Jackson’s goal-and-assist rate and actually surpassing Palmer’s goalscoring haul in Christian Pulisic.
Why Chelsea sold Christian Pulisic
Chelsea signed Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund for a whopping fee of £58m in January 2019, fending off competition from Arsenal and Liverpool for the dynamic winger’s signature.
Fast, an excellent dribbler and an intelligent interlinking outlet, Pulisic had exactly what it takes to succeed in the Premier League but struggled to bring it all together and earn regular starting appearances after a ferocious start.
Indeed, Pulisic recorded 11 goals and eight assists across all competitions throughout the 2019/20 campaign – his first at Stamford Bridge – but that stood as his most productive across his four years of service.
2022/23
30 (10)
1
2
0.10
2021/22
38 (21)
8
5
0.34
2020/21
43 (25)
6
4
0.23
2019/20
34 (27)
11
8
0.55
He left English football with a whimper but Pulisic has since resurrected his career in Italy. His footwork and skills had led sports writer Al Butler to hail him as a “magician” way back when, but he’s finally realising that tag with AC Milan.
Christian Pulisic's numbers after leaving Chelsea
His final season with Chelsea – under Pochettino’s wing – was, without doubt, the worst. But it was also the year that the club fell by the wayside, and he was banished to a bit-part role that sapped and sucked at his confidence, depleting it.
It was time for a change. Pulisic had won the Champions League with the Blues and was an attractive option for many a top team on the continent. Milan won the race, signing the USMNT captain, who was 24 years old upon the move, for a cut-price fee of around £20m. Chelsea will still rue the heavy financial blow.
Especially when considering he’s one of the most in-form players performing for an Italian team right now. Last year he regained balance and hit 15 goals and 11 assists over 50 matches. This year, the 26-year-old has already claimed four strikes and two assists from six matches.
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His efforts have even led him to rank among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored (0.42) and the top 5% for the rate of hitting the target (47%) per 90, as per FBref. This emphasises exactly how deadly he can be in promising attacking moments.
Chelsea
145
26
19
Dortmund
127
19
26
USMNT
73
31
18
AC Milan
56
19
13
The £83k-per-week talent has found a fitting home in the bustling city of Milan, enjoying his football and performing as a standout for a team that has just kickstarted its campaign with a victory over arch-rivals Inter Milan.
Pulisic opened the scoring in that one, several days after putting Il Rossoneri 1-0 up against Liverpool in the Champions League with a fine finish from an acute angle. The Reds would overpower them in the end but it highlighted his ability to succeed against the best that Europe has to offer.
That puts him identically aside Jackson for a direct haul in 2024/25 while equalling Palmer’s goal-and-assist rate – of course, Pulisic’s four-goal return surpasses the England international’s two.
Given the hefty swell of Chelsea’s frontline, there’s going to be little cause for ruefulness that the American ace plies his art elsewhere and is impressing in doing so.
But it serves as a reminder that though this one didn’t work out, it could have been so much more.
Maresca set to hand Chelsea forward who earns more than Jackson one chance
The Blues are reportedly going to give him an opportunity to shine on Tuesday.
ByDan EmerySep 23, 2024