- Chelsea legend John Obi-Mikel has called for Nicolas Jackson to be benched, citing his poor goal-scoring form
- Jackson has now gone eight Premier League games without a goal, raising concerns over his place in the squad
- Mikel also criticised Jadon Sancho for failing to maintain his early season performances, urging him to step up
Chelsea and Nigerian football icon, John Obi Mikel, has once again taken a dig at Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, calling for the struggling forward to be dropped from the starting lineup.
Mikel believes Jackson, who has failed to score in his last eight Premier League games, should be given a break, with Christopher Nkunku getting a fair shot in his place.
Recall that Mikel had earlier criticised Jackson for his inconsistency, and following Chelsea’s recent 2-1 win over West Ham United on Monday, February 3, he has reiterated his stance.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder stated that manager Enzo Maresca should apply the same tough decision he made with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to Jackson.
“Maresca has been bold enough to drop Sanchez. I think he should do that also with Nicolas Jackson. Give him a break, take him out of the firing line, put him on the bench, start Christopher Nkunku and see what he does,” Mikel said.
Maresca had made headlines by benching first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in favour of Filip Jorgensen, who was making just his third Premier League start. The manager’s decision paid off, as Chelsea secured a hard-fought victory over West Ham.
However, Mikel believes Chelsea’s issues extend beyond the goalkeeping position, stating Jackson’s poor form as another major concern.
With Jackson struggling, Maresca turned to young forward Marc Guiu against West Ham, and the 18-year-old showed glimpses of his potential. Despite Guiu’s promising display, Mikel remains convinced that Nkunku, who nearly joined Bayern Munich in January, should be given a proper chance in the starting XI.
The Chelsea legend also pointed fingers at Jadon Sancho, criticising the winger for his drop in form. After an impressive start at Chelsea, Sancho has failed to deliver consistent performances in recent months,
“For the past few games, we haven’t seen that. Since the December period, we haven’t seen anything from Jadon. He can’t relax…” Mikel added.
With concerns over Chelsea’s attacking struggles, all eyes are now on Maresca to see if he will make further adjustments, potentially giving Nkunku and Sancho an opportunity to shine.
Cole Palmer's phenomenal four-goal first-half frenzy floors Brighton
Previously, TheRadar reported that Cole Palmer set a new record with his 45-minute performance against a Premier League opponent.
He did this by netting an incredible four goals in the first 45 minutes, becoming the first player ever to achieve such a feat in a single half.
