Mikel Obi Slams Nicolas Jackson Following Chelsea’s Defeat to Manchester City

• Chelsea kicked off their 2024/25 English Premier League campaign with a defeat against Manchester City
• Centre forward, Nicolas Jackson, was at the end of some gilt-edged opportunities, which he failed to convert
• Former Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi, has criticised the 23-year-old for the chances he missed during the encounter

Chelsea kicked off their 2024/25 English Premier League season with a defeat against defending champions Manchester City.

The largely revamped side, under new manager Enzo Maresca, found themselves trailing 18 minutes into the tie, with Erling Haaland finishing from close range to put the Citizens into the lead.

However, Chelsea were presented with a gilt-edged opportunity to level proceedings, with Nicolas Jackson finding the back of the net, only for his effort to be ruled offside.

The Senegalese forward would again be provided with another chance to level the score in the second half; however, Jackson's close-range strike would only find the gloves of shot-stopper Ederson Moraes.

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The Blues would eventually be made to rue their missed opportunities, as Mateo Kovacic's goal all but confirmed City’s win on the night.

In the aftermath of the fixture, former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has singled out Jackson for criticism.

Mikel slams Jackson

Speaking in the aftermath of the match on beIN Sports, the former Nigerian midfielder emphasised that Chelsea needs a more clinical striker to win high-intensity fixtures.

'We've played okay, not perfectly, but okay,' he said. 'We created chances but didn't take them. Jackson's finishing is a prime example.

Even though he was offside, you could see how he dribbled past one, two, three players and the way he struck the ball!'

He continued, 'You need a striker who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net, and that's what we're lacking. I know I talk a lot about him, and it might sound like I'm being disrespectful, but I'm not.

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At Chelsea, we need a top striker who can score goals—a bit like Haaland, who has scored 91 goals for City. That's absolutely unbelievable.'

According to data courtesy of FotMob, Jackson has scored 17 goals in his 45 appearances for Chelsea since his transfer from Villarreal in the summer of 2023.

Mikel predicts Chelsea will finish under Maresca

Legit.ng in another report detailed Mikel's prediction for Chelsea’s final league standings at the end of the season.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner stated that he sees his former side finishing seventh at the end of the campaign.

Source: Legit.ng