Game of Numbers #33 – Nicolas Jackson & the art of extra touches to score goals

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Chelsea’s greatest crux over the past few years has been the lack of a goal-scoring centre-forward up front. Nicolas Jackson came into the club this season to not only be their goal-scoring ‘9’, but to be someone that could offer so much more in producing for others in Pochettino’s system. He’s delivered on both fronts this season, even if struggling to score and assist to the same heights as some of the best strikers in the league. Here is what Nicolas Jackson offers Chelsea at the age of 22, and where he can still improve from here.

NICOLAS JACKSON & THE ART OF EXTRA TOUCHES

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Although he’s only scored in a select few games this season, Nicolas Jackson has never been one to hide. With pace and power to burn, he’s offered much in the way of channel running supremacy and creative engagement to produce more out of Raheem Sterling this season. The former Man City winger is enjoying a much better season this campaign, and the connection he’s built with Nicolas Jackson has been an influential part of the puzzle.

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It’s a particular advantage on counter attacks, as either player can lead the charge as the carrier, as the other prepares to burst in behind.

As seen against Spurs this week, it’s also an advantage in exploiting space in behind high lines, leaving defenders in their dust.

In fact, for all he offers on the ball, Nicolas Jackson actually appears best when acting as that final touch on the ball. All five of his Premier League goals this campaign have come inside the penalty area, and he thrives off stellar movement to get into good positions inside the box.

Having that extra touch of pace to react has been a particular advantage for the Senegalese striker, allowing him to get half a yard of space ahead of the defender at the right moment. He’s great at disguising his runs and timing his movement into space to receive through balls, and he’ll continue to score goals through this precision of movement.

These tap-ins have become a hallmark of his early days at Stamford Bridge. But it’s actually when exuding that on-the-ball talent that he’s struggled to produce. It’s when he’s trying to do everything on his own that he loses a step or two, and sometimes runs into trouble.

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The best example of that would be his tendency to strike from distance when better passing options remain available. He loves to have a go from range, producing lower xG shots (shots that are less likely to find the back of the net). It’s a sign of a confident striker to take these moments when available, but the Senegalese striker must also learn when it’s best to release the ball into space for someone else.

He’s yet to record an assist in any competition this season, despite all that he’s offered in working the channels and linking nicely with the likes of Sterling.

Similarly, he sometimes has a tendency to take too many touches when taking players on in 1v1 situations, taking the ball back into pressure. It’s a key feature of Jackson’s game to resist taking the shot on at the first receival of the ball, and to instead set himself up in a more balanced way. Sometimes this leads to him taking the ball back into the path of defenders as he tries to get himself closer to goal.

Instead, the Senegalese striker can consider moments where it’s best to dance his way down the line and take that defender on stride for stride, before releasing onto someone else for the high xG tap-in.

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At the same time, this trait can be useful to the striker and his ability to perceive space. Faced with this situation, the majority of strikers would take the shot on, since it’s a guaranteed shot on goal that won’t be blocked by a defender.

But Jackson opts instead to take a few extra touches, work the ball around the defenders rushing back in, and create an even greater chance for himself – closer to goal on his stronger foot.

In this moment, Guglielmo Vicario comes up with a great save inside the Spurs net, but it’s still a sign of Jackson’s immense talent on the dribble and his intelligence to use that skillset to create better chances for himself. His goal against Burnley is another great example.

In a crowded area with many defenders about to swarm around him, Jackson fakes the effort first and then works the ball onto his left. This allows him to strike with better balance, closer to goal, and with at least one defender taken out of the picture.

It’s a clever bit of skill that opens up such a vast pocket of space. In doing so, he entices the goalkeeper to take matters into his own hands, thus opening more of the goal.

Jackson’s skill completely comes alive in those 1v1 moments with keepers, where his cleverness to disguise the shot and take it around the keeper often gives him the edge.

Chelsea clearly have a brilliant striker on their hands, and one that will likely end the season in double figures. That’s something they haven’t had for a while up front, and it’s going to be a massive benefit to the team as they continue their rebuild under Mauricio Pochettino. Nicolas Jackson’s rise to stardom can only go up from here, and it will continue to go up with a greater awareness for when to play the pass and how to create for others.

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He’s brilliant at taking extra touches to set himself up for the strike, and needs to harness that power to ensure he does it at the right time rather than placing the power back into the hands of the opposition. For now, the 22-year-old has scored 5 goals from 10 matches, in what should be considered a great start in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino.

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Be sure to check out more from my Game of Numbers series, and follow on social media @desmondrhys. Thanks for reading and see you soon!

-> Game of Numbers #32 – Harry Kane’s playmaking at Bayern Munich

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