Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson's decision to attempt to take a penalty away from Cole Palmer during Monday's dominant victory over Everton could have been driven by his desire to reach a personal goal milestone.
The controversy overshadowed Chelsea's impressive win in what has been a tough season, causing manager Mauricio Pochettino to become visibly frustrated during the post-match press conference as the focus shifted away from the team's performance and result.
The Blues had already established a commanding 4-0 lead when a penalty was awarded due to a foul on Palmer, who had already scored three goals within the first 29 minutes of the game. While Palmer was still on the ground, both Jackson and Noni Madueke rushed to seize the ball for themselves.
Madueke successfully wrestled the ball away, indicating with a gesture towards his chest that he would be the one to take the penalty. However, Jackson refused to relinquish his claim, prompting Thiago Silva to quickly intervene and diffuse the escalating situation. It is worth noting that Madueke has scored two out of his six goals this season from penalty kicks, but on neither occasion was Palmer, the designated penalty taker with a perfect record of eight out of eight, on the field.
After Palmer stood up and began searching for the ball, Madueke initially refused to surrender it. Surprisingly, it was Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher who intervened and handed it over. Strangely enough, when Palmer was given the ball, an enraged Jackson stormed back in and attempted to snatch it for a second time.
In spite of the chaotic events that occurred beforehand, Palmer maintained his composure and successfully converted the penalty, securing his fourth goal of the match and bringing his total number of Premier League goals for the season to 20, matching Erling Haaland's record. In terms of his overall performance throughout the campaign, Palmer's tally now stands at 23 goals.
The motive behind Jackson's actions has recently been revealed. According to a report from the Daily Telegraph, the Senegal international had set a goal for himself to score 15 goals in the Premier League this season, with aspirations of reaching 20 goals across all competitions. This suggests that he may have viewed the penalty, which was taken in a low-pressure moment, as a simple opportunity to edge closer to his personal target.
"For me, this is them showing their age..." @Carra23 and Dele share their views on Chelsea's penalty incident between Palmer, Jackson and Madueke 😨✋ pic.twitter.com/LrIz44Z27K
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 15, 2024
Jackson had already found the back of the net during the match, securing the team's fourth goal just before the first half ended. This marked his tenth goal in the Premier League for the current season, leaving him with a target of five more goals to achieve in the remaining seven games. Additionally, he needed to score seven more goals to reach a total of 20 goals in all competitions. The upcoming FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday evening presented an opportunity for him to work towards this goal.
In the video footage, Jackson seemed hesitant to join in the celebration with Palmer and the team following the penalty, until Madueke, Trevoh Chalobah, and Malo Gusto persuaded him to do so. Even then, he simply gave Palmer a brief and rather inconspicuous pat on the back. Despite nearly signing with Bournemouth in January 2023, the 22-year-old remained visibly irritated when he was later substituted.
The Telegraph later mentioned that Jackson is now committed to ending his first season with Chelsea "on a positive note" and will avoid repeating his actions regarding the penalty.
Palmer has become the inaugural Chelsea player to achieve the remarkable feat of scoring 20 goals in a single season across all competitions since Eden Hazard accomplished it in the 2018/19 campaign. Additionally, he joins the esteemed company of Frank Lampard, being the first Englishman to reach this milestone since Lampard's impressive 2009/10 season. Furthermore, Palmer's exceptional performance also marks him as the first Chelsea player to reach the 20-goal mark in the Premier League since Diego Costa's remarkable achievement in the 2016/17 season.
On the other hand, Jackson's current league tally of ten goals matches the number of goals scored by the legendary Didier Drogba in his debut season at the club back in 2004/05.
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