We miss Jackson — Mikel Obi's makes U-turn, claims Blues look lost without Senegalese star

Chelsea's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at the weekend marked a third straight Premier League loss and left the Blues with just one win in their last seven league games.

Several issues became glaring at full-time, including the Blues' toothlessness in attack.

In the latest episode of The Obi One Podcast, Chelsea legend John Mikel Obi shared his thoughts on the Blues' recent struggles, including admitting the club is sorely missing Nicolas Jackson, who departed for a high-profile loan spell at Bayern Munich last year.

Mikel highlighted the Senegalese forward’s unique qualities that he believes no current striker in the squad has successfully replicated.

“We say so many times he was a fantastic player, and I actually think right now we’re missing him… What he gave us, no striker has given us,” Mikel said.

“Pressing high, the way he was pressing aggressively, well. His connection between him and Cole Palmer – Cole Palmer looks lost without Nicolas Jackson right now.

"The creativity that he had, the link-up play… Nobody is giving us that. Yes, we are missing Nicolas Jackson.”

Mikel was honest in acknowledging that Jackson’s finishing wasn’t always clinical, but argued that his work rate and ability to stretch defenses made him invaluable to the system.

“Was his scoring enough? Maybe not. Was he giving so much to the football club? Of course he was. Do we miss him? Absolutely.”

These comments mark a notable shift in narrative. Mikel had previously been one of Jackson’s harshest critics, famously claiming Chelsea would fail to win the big trophies with the Senegalese leading the line.

Jackson responded publicly at the time, telling Mikel to “shut your mouth,” while fans often accused the pundit of being overly harsh.

Mikel, however, defended his previous stance as constructive, insisting it was always about pushing players to meet the standards of a top club.

“What I said was about competition,” he clarified in the podcast. “I just felt he wasn’t patient enough… I want to fight, I want to compete.”

Meanwhile, Rosenior's Blues must pick themselves up and prepare for the weekend's must-win clash against Manchester United, as they look to finish in the final UEFA Champions League spot.