Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah average more points-per-game than Nicolas Jackson among forwards

FEW players have reversed their reputation as quickly as Nicolas Jackson (£4.3m) in recent times.

When the Senegal international first arrived at Chelsea, many fans were left baffled by his erratic performances.

He scored just two goals in his first nine outings for the Blues, during which time he missed several gilt-edged chances and incurred enough yellow cards to warrant a one-game suspension.

However, as the 2023/24 season progressed, Jackson slowly found his feet.

Not discouraged by squandered opportunities or social media criticism, the ex-Villarreal striker scored five goals in his last eight outings to finish the campaign with 17 in all competitions - a perfectly respectable tally for a young player's first term in English football.

Crucially, Jackson has picked up where he left off so far this season having raced to five goals in his first eight league games.

He still frustrates onlookers from time to time but his numbers are increasingly impressive.

None more so than in the world of Dream Team where he averages 8.4 points-per-game.

For context, Erling Haaland (£8.9m) and Mohamed Salah (£7.4m) are the only forwards who boast superior averages at the time of writing.

Jackson has registered three assists in addition to his five goals which means he's averaging a goal involvement every 77.3 minutes this season.

Plus, Haaland, Salah and Kai Havertz (£5.2m) are the only forwards who have recorded more shots on target.

Some neutrals may still be unconvinced about Jackson but the statistics paint the portrait of an in-form asset not to be underestimated.

The main hindrance to 23-year-old's viability relates to Chelsea's sizeable squad.