In Focus: Jackson takes step forward after hat-trick in Spurs thriller

In normal circumstances, Nicolas Jackson would have been lauded for scoring a hat-trick at Tottenham.

The Chelsea striker netted three times in just over 20 minutes on Monday night, exploiting nine-man Spurs' persistence with a high defensive line.

But though Jackson took his goals well, plenty remain unconvinced by the Senegal international.

As the Blues prepare to host Manchester City, we assess their forward's divisive start to life in West London.

Hat-trick hero

Jackson took his tally for the Premier League season to five goals with his late flurry at Tottenham.

That is a commendable return from eight starts, in a Chelsea side that have struggled to find the net under Mauricio Pochettino.

In context, though, his performance against Spurs was less impressive than it might seem at first glance.

Chelsea were repeatedly allowed to get in behind Tottenham's defence, so Jackson found himself one on one with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario on several occasions as a result.

His first and second goals were routine finishes from close range after square balls into the box — and his third was equally simple, after Spurs had committed everyone forward in a desperate late attempt to salvage something.

Nonetheless, Jackson needed to be on hand to put the ball into the net, even if he will almost certainly never score a hat-trick like it again.

Unpolished diamond

Jackson, 22, is undoubtedly a raw talent.

Having joined Chelsea from Villarreal in June, he might not have expected to immediately be the club's main man in attack.

But Christopher Nkunku's injury left the Blues short of options up front, handing Jackson the challenging task of adapting quickly to the Premier League.

One obvious positive for Chelsea is that their No15 is getting plenty of chances.

Before Matchday 12, only Erling Haaland (10.3) and Mohamed Salah (7.6) had a higher expected goals tally than Jackson (7.15) in the top flight.

More worryingly, the four-cap international is underperforming his xG and has missed eight big chances.

Chelsea will hope greater composure comes with age and experience.

Confidence boost

Pochettino was full of praise for Jackson after the victory at Spurs.

He said: "I am happy for him, because we know that when strikers don't score, they suffer. So that is for people to think.

"He is really young, arrived at the club this summer and it's not easy to play for Chelsea. It's the history, about winning, lifting trophies.

"That's why, as a coaching staff, we need to provide the tools and be calm with the way we assess things. The confidence is there and I am so happy for him, because he deserves the boost."

In years to come, Monday's hat-trick at Tottenham might be looked back on as a significant moment in the frontman's Chelsea career — but much will depend on whether he can turn his streaky form into consistent performances.

Jackson will be looking to prove any doubters wrong and back up his Spurs display in an even tougher test as Chelsea face champions City at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.