Nicolas Jackson is the big talking point following Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday.
Jackson saw red in the first half of his side’s loss at St James’ Park following a VAR review.
The Chelsea striker elbowed Sven Botman in the head during a contest for the ball and was initially handed a yellow card for it. But after VAR intervention, referee John Brooks upgraded his yellow to a red.
It left Enzo Maresca absolutely fuming. As he went down the tunnel, Maresca completely blanked Jackson.
Mark Clattenburg agrees with John Brooks’ decision to send Nicolas Jackson off
Ex-Chelsea defender Jason Cundy understood the Jackson sending off, while former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg was also in complete agreement with the decision.
Because of the force that Jackson used and the speed he ran at when going into the challenge with Botman, Clattenburg has exclusively told The Chelsea Chronicle that Brooks had no choice but to send off the 23-year-old.
On Jackson’s dismissal, he said: “This is a good example where VAR works. Jackson challenged Botman for the ball leading with his elbow which catches Botman on the face. What does not help Jackson’s defence for not receiving a red card is that he looks at his opponent and runs at some speed leading with the elbow which acts as a weapon.
“To receive a red card for serious foul play, the player has to act with force and malice and in this case, both criteria are met and is given a deserved red card which will rule him out for the rest of the season.”
Jackson’s disciplinary record has been a problem since his arrival from Villarreal in 2023. Last season, for example, the Senegal international picked up 10 yellow cards in the Premier League.
| Season | Games | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| 2024/25 | 30 | 7 | 1 |
| 2023/24 | 35 | 10 | 0 |
He will now be unavailable for Chelsea’s final two league games against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in a blow to Maresca.
Poor disciplinary record not Nicolas Jackson’s only issue
After a very bright start to the season, Jackson will now finish the Premier League campaign with just 10 goals.
The former Villarreal man can be guilty of missing easy chances, something that ex-Arsenal and England forward Theo Walcott recently alluded to.
When Walcott analysed Jackson’s game earlier this week, he said: “Nicolas Jackson, he can hold the ball up quite well, but he’s not afraid of going a long period of time without touching the ball because he still makes runs and keeps you occupied… If there’s one thing to improve for Nicolas Jackson, it would be those tap-ins.”
Jackson will still be able to feature in the Conference League final against Real Betis later this month. It is a real opportunity for the Chelsea star to make himself a hero again after becoming the villain at St James’ Park.
If the Blues still manage to qualify for the Champions League and win the Conference League, all will be forgiven.
