Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has responded fiercely to recent criticism from former Blues midfielder Mikel Obi, who questioned Jackson’s performance following Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City last weekend. Jackson, who found the back of the net in Chelsea’s 6-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, didn’t hold back in addressing Mikel’s remarks.
In a post-match statement on Instagram, Jackson bluntly told the former Chelsea star to “shut his mouth” after Mikel suggested that the Senegalese forward squandered too many chances during the match against Manchester City. Mikel had further hinted that Chelsea might benefit from signing Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen as a more reliable alternative.
Jackson, who opened the scoring in Chelsea’s emphatic win over Wolves, took to social media to make his feelings clear. Quoting an image from the popular soccer page #433, which highlighted his quick goal, Jackson responded directly to Mikel’s criticism. “Mikel Obi, shut your mouth, don’t talk sh*t, we are killing ourselves for Africa,” Jackson wrote, emphasizing his frustration with the comments.
The 22-year-old forward scored Chelsea’s fastest Premier League goal since 2017, heading in at the back post within the first two minutes of the game. His performance on the pitch was seen as a strong rebuttal to the criticism he faced earlier in the week.
Mikel, 37, had criticized Jackson’s finishing during his analysis on beIN Sport, expressing concern over the striker’s ability to convert opportunities into goals. “We created chances, we haven’t taken them. And just an example of how Jackson finishes,” Mikel remarked. He continued, “You need a striker who knows how to hit a ball back in the back of the net, and that’s what we don’t have at Chelsea right now.”
Despite the strong words exchanged, Jackson’s goal-scoring prowess was on full display in the match against Wolves, potentially silencing his critics, at least for the time being. Chelsea will look to build on this momentum when they face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, September 1, in EPL game week three.