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Chelsea fans have criticized Nicolas Jackson despite their 2-0 win over Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals on Tuesday (July 8). Jackson came in as a substitute for Joao Pedro at the hour mark and squandered a huge opportunity to triple the Blues' lead in the 79th minute.
His miss also appeared to infuriate Cole Palmer, who vented his frustration, as he expected Jackson to square the ball to him.
Earlier in the game, Pedro curled the ball into the back of the net and gave the Blues the lead (18'). While Fluminense tried to make the scoreline even, Pedro killed their hopes of securing an equalizer in the 56th minute.
The Brazilian received a pass from Enzo Fernandez and released a thunderous shot that crashed against the upright and entered the net. Despite Fluminense's fight to get back into the game, the Blues' defense was resilient, and the semifinal clash ended 2-0 in favor of Enzo Maresca's side.
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Meanwhile, during his 30 minutes on the pitch, Jackson maintained a passing accuracy of 71% (5/7). The 24-year-old missed one big chance, failed to register a shot on target, and lost possession of the ball seven times (via Sofascore).
Jackson's unconvincing display triggered Chelsea fans, who vented their frustration on X, with one tweeting:
"This Jackson is annoying FR."
"Jackson wtf this guy ain’t serious," another added.
Here are some of the other reactions:
"Jackson was NEVER a team player $ADYO #FLUCHE,” a fan opined.
"Jackson's seat on the bench will have a seatbelt😂,” another fan claimed.
"Nicolas Jackson special. A horrible player in all ways,” another chimed in.
"I think it was a dream first start" - Chelsea's Joao Pedro on his display against Fluminense
After Chelsea's win on Tuesday, Joao Pedro said he's extremely happy with his first start for the Blues. The Brazilian was rampant against Fluminense, scoring a brace that sent Enzo Maresca's side into the final of the 2025 Club World Cup.
In an interview with DAZN after his exceptional attacking display, Joao Pedro said (via Pys' X handle):
"I play for Chelsea. They pay me to score goals. Today I was happy to score, even if it was against Fluminense, I think it was a dream first start, I don't think it could be better. Two goals. Now we need to think about the final. I am very happy to score two goals today."
The new signing (July 2) led the Blues' frontline and delivered a 'Player of the Match' performance. Chelsea would face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
