Chelsea 1 Crystal Palace 1: Nicolas Jackson celebrates NINE-YEAR deal with opening goal before Eze’s sublime equaliser
NICOLAS JACKSON celebrated a new deal in characteristic fashion – with a goal and a booking.
Chelsea’s hotheaded striker put his team ahead with a first-half tap in just hours after agreeing a staggering nine-year contract which he hopes will keep him safe at Stamford Bridge until 2033.
But after watching Palace hit back through Eberechi Eze to deny The Blues victory, Jackson landed a yellow card in a frustrating end for him in a lively London derby.
It sums up Chelsea’s afternoon as they struggled to recover from Thursday’s trip to Switzerland for Europa Conference League action – even though boss Enzo Maresca made nine changes to his starting line-up.
With such a busy transfer window behind him, Maresca has the depth of squad to reshuffle almost an entire team.
New winger Jadon Sancho was paraded on the pitch before kick-off but played no part in the game.
And despite their sizeable squad, Chelsea couldn’t see off stubborn Palace who took their first point of the season thanks to Eze’s magnificent equaliser and stunning saves from keeper Dean Henderson.
Jackson survived the guillotine with Chelsea failing to land Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen before Friday’s 11pm deadline.
And within 48 hours it leaked out from within Stamford Bridge that their hot and cold striker has been assured of his place at the heart of coach Enzo Maresca’s team by agreeing a two year extension to his current deal.
Club insiders say talks have been ongoing since early last month, so make of it what you will at a club where the sands shift quicker than during an earthquake in the Sahara Desert.
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Even so, Chelsea were in control but not convincing in the lead up to going ahead.
Jackson’s goal came about from a breakdown in play at the other end when Palace tripped over their own feet pouring forwards allowing the home side to counter quickly.
Noni Madueke then spurted forward and neatly sidestepped Will Hughes to leave him racing clear into the opposition half and with Palace panicking on the back foot.
It was four onto two as Madueke prodded the ball forwards to team-mate Cole Palmer who in turn laid off a pass on the diagonal, leaving an unmarked Jackson time and space to poke the ball home.
Madueke was denied a cracking goal on the volley by a brilliant Dean Henderson save just two minutes before starting the move for Jacko’s 25th minute opener.
But he also should have done better when slicing a shot wide from inside the six-yard box having done the hard work and got the better of former Chelsea defender Marc Guehi.
Palace are hoping to enter a more settled phase of the season now that there are a few months before rival clubs can come knocking for Guehi again.
Sometimes it’s the business that doesn’t get done which is the most important and Eagles boss Oliver Glasner will be relieved that his captain and lead defender is still around – for now at least.
The energetic Austrian still needs his team to offer more up front on a consistent basis even though keeping hold of forward Eze this summer is another smart move.
And the artful midfielder curled in a corker of an equaliser eight minutes into the second half to suggest that with the transfer window now closed there can be more of an assured gameplan.
Chelsea’s Levi Colwill had already cleared one shot from close to his goal line when England midfielder Adam Wharton – another tipped to be gone by now – picked up the loose ball and drove at the box.
His sideways pass found sub Cheick Doucoure whose shot was charged down by Wesley Fofana, only to fall for Eze to bend in a wicked curler from 18 yards out.
Just after the hour mark, Jackson burst through on goal but blatantly pushed over Guehi on his way. He was then given a yellow card for carrying on and blasting the ball into the empty net after the whistle had gone.
He had also been involved in a feisty stand off with the Palace players at a free kick during the first half.
The striker, who cost £35 million last year and at one point had eight goals and as many bookings, then went close twice in the dying seconds of added time but was thwarted by wayward finishing and the bravery of Henderson who blocked him in a one-on-one.