da dobrowin： As he maintains his good pre-season form, the ex-Villarreal star is looking increasingly like the man to lead the line for Mauricio Pochettino's side
da realbet： Much has been made of Chelsea's striker hunt this year, with a number of big names linked, but they might just have bought the right man already. Nicolas Jackson was once again impressive for the Blues, scoring the opener and proving a constant menace in an otherwise drab 1-1 draw with Newcastle.
The former Villarreal man continued his good run of form, opening the scoring inside 15 minutes, scampering beyond the Newcastle backline and finishing off a neat pass from Ian Maatsen. Chelsea could've had a second shortly after, but Christopher Nkunku dragged his effort just wide of the post.
Newcastle levelled things right before the break, with former Atlanta United winger Miguel Almiron grabbing a goal at his former home.
The second half was a markedly tighter affair. Jackson was removed, while Maatsen only lasted a further 20 minutes. Nkunku made things interesting, though, and challenged Nick Pope on a handful of occasions. A diving stop from the England goalkeeper in the 93rd minute ensured that Newcastle would hang on.
GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at Mercedes-Benz Stadium…
Nico Jackson… again!
How long have Chelsea needed this? The Blues haven't really had a reliable striker since Diego Costa, with a series of imperfect fits and promising players all struggling to inherit the central role in the side. It's very early days, but Jackson looks like he might just be able to make it work.
He was up for it from the first minute on Wednesday. The former Villarreal man was caught offside while trying to dart beyond the Newcastle defence early on. But five minutes later, he timed his run to perfection, receiving a pass in stride and putting his side 1-0 ahead.
There was more to his performance than just goals, though. Jackson never stopped moving and got Fabian Schar booked after forcing the centre-back into a rash challenge. He also almost grabbed himself an assist after a fine piece of work on the right wing, too. These are small moments, but ones Chelsea fans can get excited about. Jackson could be the solution to a problem they've had for years.
AdvertisementReece James is back
Injury-prone right-back Reece James finally returned to training last week, and was thrust into the line up almost immediately here. The results were predictably mixed. At times, James was near his best, winning individual duels and hitting a series of cross-field balls.
But there were also some weaknesses. He was caught out of position on occasion and played the odd loose pass. This is all to be expected, though, from a player who hasn't been on the pitch for nearly four months — and missed half of last season.
Chelsea look a much-changed side this year, and the somehow James will be one of the most experienced members of the squad at just 23. If he can stay fit, and work his way back to form, the Blues will once again have one of the league's best full-backs at their disposal.
What to make of Mudryk?
Since arriving from Shaktar Donetsk in January, Mykhailo Mudryk has shown flashes, but has done little to suggest that he was worth the immense £89 million ($110m) price they paid for him. This pre-season, though, there are signs that he might just work out. His darting runs have come with smart passes. His mazy dribbles have finished with a shot.
These are small things, but they are also immense improvements for a player that looked lost a few months ago. And there was a lot to like here, too. He tortured Kieran Trippier for 45 minutes, and linked up well with Nkunku and Jackson.
There is a long way to go for the Ukrainian. He will undoubtedly need more time to develop, and the minutes will only help. For now, though, the signs are promising.
Miggy enjoys his homecoming
Almiron has had a bit of a mixed time at Newcastle, but finally made good on his potential last season, scoring 11 Premier League goals. And he returned to Atlanta in style, scoring the equaliser and putting in a solid performance on the right. He made life difficult for a rattled Marc Cucurella, who couldn't deal with his trickery or movement on the evening.
The Paraguayan won't have it easy this season. Newcastle are bringing in reinforcements to the side, and he will likely have to battle for his spot. Every pre-season game counts, then, and this was an immensely promising one for a fan favourite.