Chelsea: Christopher Nkunku struggles show Nicolas Jackson is indispensable to Enzo Maresca | OneFootball

Jackson has become such an important player for Chelsea and Maresca should think twice about resting him again

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick

Sign up

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

The difference was enormous. Chelsea could not find the breakthrough in a goalless second half against Brentford, and in that regard the second 45 minutes mirrored the first, but the output from Chelsea’s striker increased almost immeasurably after half-time.

That is when Enzo Maresca turned to his bench and introduced the first of the key men he had rested against the Bees, following Thursday’s 1-0 win over Tottenham and with this Thursday’s Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg against Legia Warsaw in mind.

Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto would follow on the hour mark, but first came Nicolas Jackson. When that substitution was announced - Jackson on, Christopher Nkunku off - cheers could be heard from the away end.

That said plenty about how Nkunku had fared in his 45 minutes at the Gtech Community Stadium, and about how fond much of the Chelsea fanbase have grown towards Jackson.

Nkunku struggled in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Brentford

Getty Images

Nkunku has scored plenty of goals in the Conference League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season, but Sunday was only his ninth Premier League start of the season.

The Frenchman looked dissociated and, at times, disinterested. He won only one of the five balls he contested on the ground and had just 22 touches of the ball.

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez wanted to play short passes into his feet in midfield rather than pumping long for him to flick on or hold up, knowing that is not Nkunku's game.

But the £52million man never offered himself, leaving Sanchez frustrated and Maresca no choice but to change it up.

On at the break, Jackson made an immediate difference, holding up at the first time of asking with a move which save him acknowledge the close attention of both Yehor Yarmoliuk and Nathan Collins, flicking the ball between them and then ducking under to begin a break-away in midfield. It was the sort of craftiness Chelsea had longed for from their striker, and an example of what Jackson is miles ahead of Nkunku at.

Once Palmer was on, their chemistry could be seen in fits and starts, Palmer at one point looking up and playing a long ball over to Jackson which skipped just too far ahead of the Senegalese striker. It felt the sort of run Nkunku, if still on, simply would not have made.

Jackson helped an improved Chelsea display in the second half

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

“I don't think it's a lack of effort, because I see Christo every day and he's working well,” Maresca insisted afterwards. “Sometimes he wants to give more during a game and he struggles a little bit, but I don't think it's a lack of effort.”

Nkunku’s work ethic has been called into question a number of times while he has been at Chelsea but, hey, even if Maresca is right - and maybe he is - what is undeniable is that Jackson plays more to the strengths of those around him. Chelsea are stronger with him in the team.

Jackson has scored only nine Premier League goals this season, work still to be done to match his 14 last term, but his work in holding the ball up and his tireless runs off it are invaluable to the way Chelsea play and make the likes of Palmer and Noni Madueke, around him, better.

Maresca’s five changes from the Tottenham win backfired as his side drew a blank at Brentford and dropped two points in their race to finish in the Champions League places.

Yet there was at least method to changing it up and bringing in fresh legs, with the Italian explaining afterwards that his game-plan was always to start with a slightly weakened team and finish strongly.

But resting Jackson in particular was an error of judgment, a miscalculation of how important a player he has become. Maresca should think twice about doing it again.