Nicolas Jackson may have endured a tough start to his life at Stamford Bridge, but the Senegalese forward is not the reason why Chelsea have struggled this season.
The 22-year-old, who joined the London club in a £32 million move last summer, has netted 13 goals and provided five assists in 37 matches across all competitions, including scoring ten goals in the Premier League.
However, his performance for the Blues at Wembley Stadium against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday exposed the former Villarreal man to serious backlash on social media.
Jackson failed to get on the scoresheet in their 1-0 loss against the current FA Cup holders, as none of his three shots on target hit the back of the net. He also missed a big chance just before the half-hour mark after failing to hit the target despite rounding goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Nevertheless, former Chelsea forward and African football legend Didier Drogba has leapt in support of the young Senegalese international with an encouraging message on his official X platform (formerly called Twitter) on Monday.
The post read, “Keep your head high and never stop working hard; it will pay off.”
Keep your head High UP and never stop working hard, it will pay off 🙏🏾💙 pic.twitter.com/xW5bvi7A6S
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) April 22, 2024
Drogba, who knows how tough it is to lead the frontline for the five-time Premier League winners, having scored 164 goals in 381 games for Chelsea, also took his time to encourage fans in the comment section to support the young striker.
Jackson and Chelsea will have the opportunity to get back to winning ways when they visit the Emirates Stadium to take on current league leaders Arsenal in a London Derby on Tuesday, April 23.