Chelsea offered dream Jackson alternative who’s scored 98 objectives since leaving

Chelsea at present sit sixth within the Premier League, having scored 47 objectives in 25 video games, making them the fifth highest within the division this season, averaging 58.6% possession, which is the second-highest within the league and taking 16 pictures per sport, rating fourth on this metric within the division.

Enzo Maresca’s facet have generated the second-highest xG within the Premier League this season, with 51.79 xG generated of their 25 league video games, solely Liverpool having extra with 63.21 xG. Nevertheless, while their xG technology is excessive, the Blues conversion charge is without doubt one of the lowest within the league.

A giant a part of that’s Nicolas Jackson’s latest harm, together with the dearth of medical ending on the high finish of the pitch. Maresca’s facet have typically normal excessive xG possibilities this season, squandering them and subsequently negatively affecting their probabilities of turning performances into factors.

Nicolas Jackson’s harm woes

Chelsea signed Jackson within the 2023/24 summer time switch window, with the Senegal striker becoming a member of the Blues for a price of round £32m.

Since his arrival, the 23-year-old has made 68 appearances for the membership, scoring 26 objectives, offering 11 assists and totaling 5,312 minutes performed.

Jackson has had a patchy season beneath Maresca, beginning in red-hot kind, netting eight instances in his first 13 Premier League video games this season, earlier than happening a poor run of kind, solely scoring as soon as in his final ten league video games.

With Jackson now anticipated to be out till round April, and Marc Guiu additionally out injured, Chelsea are with no pure quantity 9 – one thing the squad is clearly crying out for, and maybe one thing that ought to have been considered when making gross sales.

Chelsea already offered a possible Jackson alternative

After spending a while on mortgage earlier than his everlasting sale, Chelsea agreed the sale of Álvaro Morata in 2019 to Atlético Madrid, with the Spanish membership paying £58.3m for the striker.

Since leaving the Blues, initially on mortgage in 2019, Morata has scored 98 objectives for a mess of golf equipment, together with Atlético Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Galatasaray.

When evaluating the 2 strikers’ underlying metrics this season, you possibly can see how Morata would have supplied one thing barely totally different, providing some additional aerial menace to the facet and overachieving his xG efficiency, in comparison with Jackson who’s underperforming his xG.

The age dynamic between the 2 would not have been a difficulty both, because the 32-year-old Morata would have supplied expertise to the Chelsea facet, which is missing on this division, making for a wholesome and aggressive dynamic between the 2.

While it’s simple to evaluate with hindsight, Chelsea might have used a extra skilled striker who’s prepared to rotate with Jackson, which might have added a brand new dynamic to the crew in sure video games, and helped to cowl for accidents such because the latest ones to Jackson and Guiu.

As it’s, Maresca could also be compelled to utilise Christopher Nkunku has a makeshift quantity 9, or as a substitute look to the academy…

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