Sherwood names Chelsea star who ‘plays like a Soccer Aid celebrity’ after win over Brentford

Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood has likened Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson to “someone playing in Soccer Aid who’s not a footballer”.

The second-placed Blues closed the gap on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table to just two points – but Arne Slot’s men have a game in hand – after beating Brentford 2-1 on Sunday.

Spain international Marc Cucurella, who was later sent off after the match, scored the opening goal of the game at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea took the lead before Jackson scored a brilliant individual effort to double their advantage on 80 minutes.

Brentford did get one back late on but Chelsea took the three points with both sides missing great chances to score throughout the match, including a Jackson sitter.

Despite accusing Jackson of looking like a celebrity playing in a Soccer Aid match, Sherwood praised the Senegal international and reckons the Chelsea star will continue to improve.

Sherwood told Premier League Productions: “Not just today, I think all season, well, since I’ve seen Nicolas Jackson, he’s so unpredictable.

“At times he looks like someone playing in Soccer Aid who’s not a footballer.

“Look at this chance [Jackson’s miss from six yards], that looks like someone who is a rapper or an actor or something trying to play football.

“But then all of a sudden he just turns it on. He’s such a threat because he tries to get in behind, he doesn’t mind if he misses chances because he knows his one will come.

“But we’ll show you something now [for Jackson’s goal] which is undefendable, you can’t defend this. As soon as the ball turns over, Caicedo does brilliantly, and Enzo gives him the ball, once he’s in this position, not everyone can do this [run through and score], he’s got a talent to do this.

“It’s incredible. He scores he hardest chances and misses the easiest ones, but you need to be a big character to do that because he always wants to put himself on offer.

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“I’ve got a lot of time for him. He’s scored nine Premier League goal now, that’s a very difficult chance [against Brentford], he’s got so much to do, he drives and drives, keeps his balance well, smashes it in the bottom corner, fantastic, wins them the game.

“But he always puts himself on offer all of the time and I admire that from him.

“He’s only young, he can still develop, he can still get better. I’m sure this manager will be showing him those chances and showing him how he can improve and get his coaching team out there with him and recreate those chances.

“This [Jackson’s goal] isn’t something you haven’t got to recreate with him, we know he’s good at that but that chance when he’s almost not ready and it comes to him and he almost looks surprised and he has a straight leg with his left foot, it’s awful technique.

“I think he’s got an all-round game, he’s ahead of Didier Drogba, one of the best centre-forwards they’ve ever had, after 50 games.

“He looks like a real good character, like I say. It takes a big character to put yourself on offer at the Bridge and around the Premier League and have big chances and miss them, take the criticism but still put yourself on offer to get those chances again, and he takes difficult chances, that’s what he does. If he could finish the easy ones his numbers would double.”