Joe Cole hails Chelsea star after his display against Djurgardern

Joe Cole hailed Nicolas Jackson as one of Chelsea’s ‘most important players’ after the striker’s impressive performance against Djurgarden in the semifinal of the UEFA Conference League.

The striker scored a brace in Chelsea’s commanding 4-1 win over Djurgarden on Thursday night. 

The result saw the Blues put one leg in the competition's final ahead of the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge next week.

Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke scored in the first half, giving Chelsea a 2-0 lead going into the break. However, Nicolas Jackson's brace in the second half stole the headlines for the English side.

In the process, the Senegalese international has now scored three goals in his last two games for Chelsea across all competitions.

Though the 23-year-old has had a topsy-turvy first season in England, where the British media have sometimes criticised him, Jackson has found a way to silence his critics in the last couple of games.

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What Cole said about Nicolas Jackson

Joe Cole heaped praise on Jackson after his performance on Thursday night by stating that he has made himself one of Chelsea’s most important players.

Cole said on TNT Sports 4, Cole said, “What I would say about Jackson is he’s made himself one of Chelsea’s most important players.”

“Because he does this, he doesn’t give up. He’s hard work. He’s aggressive. All the things – he might not be as measured as other players, but he gives you this. Nothing is better when you’re behind him as a midfielder when you’ve got a centre-forward who will chase down everything. It’s fantastic.”

Jackson showed an incredible appetite for his first goal when he chased down an overhit pass, and he got his reward to tap in a simple finish after a mix-up in the Djurgarden defence.

He then displayed lethal finishing for his second goal by lashing a left-footed shot into the top corner from the edge of the opposition box.

Jackson’s performance against Djurgarden is a testament to the fact that he has what it takes to lead the line for Chelsea. However, he will have to find a way to be more consistent with his goal scoring, as his finishing has been erratic at times this season.

But if his performances in the past week is anything to go by, he is certainly heading in the direction of improving it.

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