'No one expected this': Enzo Maresca says 'fantastic' Chelsea player has shocked everyone this season
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As strange as it is to say, Chelsea have been one of the surprise packages of the Premier League so far this season.
Indeed, after two years of struggles under numerous managers, Enzo Maresca has steadied the ship at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea sit third in the Premier League at this point.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 3 | ChelseaChelsea | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 19 |
Of course, Cole Palmer has played a massive part in Chelsea's ascension, and Palmer has received plenty of praise for his performances.
However, Chelsea aren't just a one-man team, and speaking to TNT Sports, Maresca has reserved some special praise for another one of his attackers.
Indeed, Maresca spoke incredibly highly of Nicolas Jackson and the impact he's had this season.
Enzo Maresca praises Nicolas Jackson
Maresca spoke incredibly highly of Jackson, claiming that he's exceeded all expectations this season.
Shaun Wright-Phillips says that Jackson has proven him wrong this season, and Maresca believes that the striker has silenced a lot of critics this term.
"I think he's been unfairly criticised at times in the media by different people and different publications. What does he bring to your team that you really love?" Maresca was asked.
"First of all, he is helping us a lot in the way we want to play. He's doing fantastic. Everyone at the beginning, no one expected this from Nico. In terms of numbers, he's scored goals, assists since we start. The way we want to press, it's always aggressive, he's always there, he's doing fantastic," Maresca said.
Nicolas Jackson stats this season
Maresca says that Jackson has been fantastic this term, and the numbers back that up.
The striker has been seriously effective in front of goal this season, while he's also contributed well in terms of creating chances for his teammates.
| Nicolas Jackson stats this season | |
| Games | 11 |
| Goals | 6 |
| Assists | 3 |
There was a lot of talk in the summer about how Chelsea needed a new striker, but Jackson is delivering the goods when he's led the line this term.
Jackson may not be the most technically gifted player in the Chelsea squad, but he works his socks off every single time he pulls on a blue shirt, and he's able to make things happen in the final third.
Could Chelsea upgrade in the striker department? Possibly, but Jackson is doing a brilliant job at the moment, and that's far from the biggest issue at Stamford Bridge.
Ian Wright suggested Chelsea need a new defender, and perhaps that should be their transfer priority instead of another striking option.
