Nicolas Jackson has agreed to stay a Stamford Bridge for the next nine years. Frustrated Chelsea fans may feel, after an agonising period of injury time in which he missed two golden opportunities, that it may take him that long to find the back of the net again. As it was, Chelsea had only eight minutes of added time, and even though the 23‑year‑old Senegal international was put through on goal not once but twice it was not enough to secure the win.
Jackson’s first shot found the side netting; his second effort was met by a combination of Dean Henderson’s thigh and wrist. It left the Chelsea head coach, Enzo Maresca, playing a very different waiting game. After Chelsea lost here on the opening day against Manchester City, it means the Italian will still be looking for his first Premier League home win when Brighton visit on 28 September.
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With Jadon Sancho sitting on the sidelines for this one having completed his loan move from Manchester United too late to take part, Maresca tried most of the rest of his attacking options in a bid to claim three points that an improved Chelsea display arguably warranted.
What he did not have to throw into the fray was a world-class striker with a track record of scoring in the Premier League. Instead the club seem determined to keep the faith in Jackson – perhaps until 2033.
“The only thing I know is he’s signing a new contract – I don’t know how many years,” Maresca said.
“I’m very happy. Nicolas is doing a fantastic job with us. He scored again. He had more chances but we’re happy with him.
“I had faith, and the club also, even before in Jackson. We trust Nicolas. When the transfer window was open, I said he was doing fantastic with us.”
Football will always be governed by those sliding-door moments, however. Score, don’t score. Second yellow card, apologetic shrug of the shoulders. Will Hughes had already been booked when he committed what looked to be a cautionable offence on Cole Palmer just after the break. Despite the remonstrations of Maresca, Hughes remained on the pitch long enough to be substituted for Cheick Doucouré, a replacement that changed the tone of the match.
“I don’t think there’s many things to add because it was clear for all of us that it was a second yellow card,” a frustrated Maresca said. “The only one who thinks otherwise is the referee and he’s the one who decides. They would have gone to 10 and the game would have changed but the referee saw it another way.
“We completely deserved to win the game. We controlled the game. Overall, we completely deserved to win the game. Unfortunately we didn’t. The performance was very good, on and off the ball. After we conceded the goal we lost our way.”
Certainly, until that point, Chelsea had been allowed to dominate as Palmer conducted a more cohesive unit and Enzo Fernández helped to orchestrate neat patterns for them to play to. Palmer fired just wide of the far post after 12 minutes, but it was his telling assist that enabled even Jackson to tap in the opener after 25 minutes to end a flowing box-to-box move that started with Levi Colwill and involved good work from Noni Madueke before Palmer was able to carve the opening.
Crystal Palace had to wait until the withdrawal of Hughes early in the second half to make much of an impact themselves. Three minutes after coming on, Doucouré had a snatched shot blocked from a half-cleared set piece – but the rebound fell to Eberechi Eze and he took the time he needed to curl the ball inside the far post.
Suddenly the visitors were carving Chelsea open and Robert Sánchez was relieved to see Daichi Kamada’s fierce 18-yard shot in the 77th minute fly away to safety after it slithered through his fingers on the goalline.
Jackson’s two late chances might have denied Palace a first point of the season, but Oliver Glasner, the manager, felt the reward was thoroughly earned. “I have such a high respect of this group,” he said. “I know their character. We had 14 players from the first‑team squad today with some injuries and the new players arrived on the last day so couldn’t play today. In this situation it is really amazing how they stick together. I am really proud to be the manager of this amazing group.”
Maresca, meanwhile, juggles the management of expectations as well as an overabundant dressing room full of players on ludicrously long contracts. “Probably one thing that has to be clear, Chelsea three years ago won the Champions League,” he said. “Now it is not that kind of Chelsea. So now sometimes if you don’t win it is normal.”
