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Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew praised Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson's performance in the Blues' draw against Manchester City on Saturday, February 17.
Jackson helped his side earn a 1-1 draw against the champions at the Etihad in the Premier League on Saturday. He provided an excellent assist for Raheem Sterling's opening goal in the 42nd minute. Rodri eventually rescued a point for City in the 83rd minute.
However, Jackson put in a decent shift against Manchester City. He completed 14/20 passes, made two key passes, created one big chance, missed one big chance, won 3/13 duels, and completed 1/4 dribble attempts. He was later subbed off in the 82nd minute for Christopher Nkunku.
Pardew praised Jackson for his performance against City. He also said that Chelsea can beat Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on February 25 if the Senegalese striker puts in a similar performance on the day.
Pardew said on talkSPORT:
“And Jackson yesterday put on a fantastic centre-forward’s performance, by the way, which I didn’t think he had in him. I thought he was absolutely brilliant yesterday. If he produces that on Sunday, then they have got a chance.”
Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal last summer for a reported fee of €35 million. He has scored nine goals and provided three assists in 27 games across competitions for them.
Mauricio Pochettino lauds Chelsea's character following Manchester City draw
The Blues have had a tough 2023-24 Premier League season and were certainly the underdogs going against Manchester City on Saturday. However, they put in a good defensive performance and also created multiple opportunities on the break to score themselves.
While the game eventually ended in a 1-1 draw, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino was pleased by his players' effort and character. He said after the game (via Chelseafc.com):
"Today was a great performance. We scored first and the first half was a very good game. I’m so pleased and I told the players this and congratulate them because the effort was massive.
"The spirit we showed today is the way we want to compete. With the talent we have in all the areas, we will reach the level we expect. I’m so pleased because to play a team that is the best in the world is never easy, and today the character and personality the team showed made me very happy."
With the draw, the Blues remained in 10th place in the Premier League standings. Manchester City, meanwhile, dropped to third place. They are four points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.
