Pochettino has 'NO DOUBT' Chelsea star can become Premier League GOAT

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 25 Aug 2023 23:00 BST
• 2 min read

Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson can become one of the best strikers in the history of the Premier League after watching his side defeat Luton 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino claimed his first competitive win as Blues manager in emphatic style as Raheem Sterling hit the headlines with an excellent double, yet it was summer signing Jackson who won praise from the manager after netting his debut goal for the side to round off the victory.

The Senegal international, 22, arrived from Villarreal in the summer for a comparatively paltry fee of €37 million and has hit the ground running in England, impressing with his work rate and movement – and now goals.

Pochettino hailed the youngster after the encounter.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “It’s really important because he’s a young player who came from a different league and it’s always difficult to adapt to a different league.

“We don’t need to ask him to run, to press, to help the team when we don’t have the ball because he has these qualities, and then he’s amazing with his feet. He has the capacity to run with the ball, to link with the team and to score goals. He’s going to score, it’s only a matter of time.

“No doubt, he can become one of the greatest strikers in the Premier League of all time.”

Pochettino’s assessment of Jackson’s performance came after Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville compared the striker to Liverpool No.9 Darwin Nunez, who managed nine goals in his first season in the Premier League and is in danger of being labelled a flop after failing to find a starting place in Jurgen Klopp’s team in the first two matches of the season.

Jackson, in Pochettino’s eyes, is a player who will only go from strength to strength.