Nicolas Jackson Is an Upgrade on Ollie Watkins, Says Martin Keown

• Martin Keown says Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson is “an upgrade on Ollie Watkins” after his double beat Manchester City.
• Jackson has scored seven goals in 11 games for Villa, six of them in his last six, after joining from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £65m.
• Unai Emery, who coached Jackson at Villarreal, says he knows the striker’s “capacity to exploit his qualities” and his “humility”.

Keown Puts Jackson Ahead of the Man He Replaced

Martin Keown has made a bold claim about the man who took over from Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa. “I think he’s an upgrade on Ollie Watkins, I really do,” the former Arsenal and England defender told BBC Sport after Nicolas Jackson scored twice in Saturday’s win over Manchester City. The result ended City’s 100% start to the Premier League season. For a striker once written off at Chelsea, it was a quick answer to the doubters.

Seven Goals in 11 Games

Villa signed Jackson from Chelsea in the summer in a deal worth up to £65m as a direct replacement for Watkins, who had been the club’s main source of goals for six seasons. The 25-year-old Senegal international has scored seven goals in his first 11 appearances for Villa, six of them in the last six. He has also helped Villa to a 100% start in the Champions League and to a recovery after a slow start in the league.

Both of Jackson’s shots on target against City came from his right foot, and both ended up in the net. Afterwards he said: “The players, the manager, the team, everything is incredible. I’m very happy that I’m here and hopefully we can do amazing things together.”

The Numbers Against His Chelsea Record

Jackson spent two full seasons at Chelsea after joining in 2023 and had a year on loan at Bayern Munich before moving to Villa. The sample size at Villa Park is much smaller, but his figures are moving in the right direction. At Chelsea he scored 24 goals in 65 Premier League appearances, a goal every 210 minutes on average, with a shot conversion rate of 15%. At Villa he has four in seven league games, a goal every 138 minutes, with a conversion rate of 21%.

One of the criticisms of Jackson at Chelsea was that he missed chances he should have scored. In his early weeks at Villa he is outperforming his expected goals tally by exactly two. If the run continues, the fee could turn out to be a bargain.

What Keown Sees

Watkins scored 91 Premier League goals in 221 league appearances for Villa before he moved to Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal in August. He reached double figures in each of his six seasons. Keown still sees something extra in his replacement. “Ollie was magnificent for them, but this guy is more of a predator [in and around the penalty area],” he said. “Pace will always trouble top defenders and he’s got it in abundance.”

Keown also linked the pace of Jackson’s start to his past with the manager. “I think having worked with the manager before at Villarreal, he’s sort of fast-tracking his quick development,” he said. “He looks like a really good piece of business right now. The team suffered and you need a striker who can give you belief you can win games when suffering and this guy is a special talent.”

Emery and the Villarreal Link

The win came on the fourth anniversary of Emery’s appointment as Villa manager. Jackson spent three years at Villarreal under Emery before Chelsea signed him for £35m. Emery said he saw the same player then. “I knew him at Villarreal and he started playing the level he is now,” the manager said. “I know his capacity to exploit his qualities and I know, as well, his humility. The mentality is coming through, how focused he is in life and professional career.”

Jackson said the move to a new club is not easy, but that the coach and the players make it easier. “It’s an incredible dressing room with an incredible manager,” he told TNT Sports. Former Scotland defender Rachel Corsie, who played for Villa late in her career, described Emery as intense about detail. “He never gets tired of trying to better people individually and that takes an incredible amount of work,” she said. “So many players come here, improve and thrive.”

Keown has liked Jackson “all season” and believes he is key to Villa’s success. “With a talent like that you can go a long way,” he said.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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