Cole Palmer sends clear Nicolas Jackson message to Mikel Obi after 3-0 win over West Ham
Following Mikel’s Obi on Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer has praised teammate Nicolas Jackson after the forward was involved in all three goals during Chelsea’s 3-0 win at West Ham.
Jackson was the architect of a comfortable away win for the Blues at the London Stadium, as Enzo Maresca became just the eighth manager to win each of his first three away games in the Premier League, and the first since Pep Guardiola in September 2016.
The Senegalese striker scored twice inside the opening 18 minutes, the fastest brace from a Chelsea player in a Premier League fixture since January 2005. He celebrated his opener with a Thriller-inspired celebration, channelling namesake Michael Jackson.
It continues a strong start to the season for Jackson, who faced criticism from Mikel Obi during an up-and-down debut year at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer was full of praise for Jackson, who set up the former for the third goal in addition to his early double.
The 23-year-old has now scored 18 non-penalty goals since his arrival in the Premier League, more than Dominic Solanke, Alexander Isak, Son Heung-min, Mohamed Salah and Kai Havertz across the same period.
Chelsea’s Jackson is a ‘top player’
“A tough place to come and a good three points, we are happy,” Palmer reflected, speaking to TNT Sports.
“Everybody knows he [Nicolas Jackson] is a top player – he needs to keep going. The Chelsea fans and players rate him highly – we know what he is capable of.
“There will always be noise, we try to block it out and listen to the manager. We have a good manager and it can only help us to get better.”