Nicolas Jackson should thank Mikel Obi for His current form

Nicolas Jackson this season is certainly a man on a mission, especially after former Chelsea icon John Mikel Obi publicly called him out.

Over the past five consecutive weekends, the Chelsea striker has shown marked improvement in his form, with his standout performance against London rivals West Ham United earning him the man-of-the-match award in Chelsea’s 3-0 win at the London Stadium.

The West Ham versus Chelsea fixture is rarely one where the Hammers roll over, and despite the 3-0 scoreline, this game was no exception. The Hammers fought hard but were undone by Chelsea’s clinical finishing and superior conversion rate.

Statistically, West Ham had more shots on goal and dominated possession on their home turf, but the difference-maker was Nicolas Jackson.

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In an ironic twist, the Senegalese striker, who had been criticized for his lack of composure in front of goal, made the most of the chances created for him by Jadon Sancho and Moisés Caicedo. Jackson netted a brace that effectively ended the contest by halftime. To cap off his impressive display, he assisted Cole Palmer for Chelsea’s third goal, completing a hat-trick of goal involvements.

Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi retires from football

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Much has been said about Jackson needing to step up, and the former Villarreal forward seems to have taken these words to heart, especially after calling out his biggest critic, John Mikel Obi, on social media.

Mikel responded, but instead of backing down, his words seem to have added fuel to Jackson’s fire. Now, Jackson is playing as though he’s out to prove his doubters, especially Mikel, wrong.

With his current goal-scoring form and newfound resilience, Nicolas Jackson is quickly winning over Chelsea fans—thanks, in part, to the push from critics like Mikel Obi.