Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that Nicolas Jackson should have scored six goals against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week.
Since his arrival from Villarreal in the summer, Jackson has endured a mixed start to life at Stamford Bridge, only scoring three times prior to Monday's all-London showdown with the then-Premier League leaders.
In a chaotic game, the Senegal international was heavily involved, eventually scoring a hat-trick in the closing quarter of the contest to earn Chelsea a 4-1 victory.
However, the 22-year-old was guilty of squandering opportunities either side of his quick-fire treble, most notably when Chelsea were either trailing or on level terms.
While Pochettino was happy to take the positives from Jackson's contribution at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Argentine hinted that he was not satisfied with his performance.
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Speaking to reporters at a press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture with Manchester City, Pochettino said: "It is easy to say 'okay, he scored three goals'. It is always a process. I don't change my view on him. He is still young, he needs to be more mature, improve.
"He scored three goals. Okay, he should have scored six. That is the idea, it is never enough. But, of course, this type of situation that happened, when the results not arrive, always it is about to find what is responsible.
"Of course, we are the first ones responsible, but the most important is to feel calm and relaxed. He is a talented player who is going to improve with time and score goals. Monday can help him not to feel so much nerves and approach the game in a different way."
Jackson has now scored a total of five goals in his last six appearances, two of which came from the substitutes' bench either side of the international break.
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The presence of Jackson has been required with Armando Broja having not featured since the October international break due to a fresh knee issue.
Furthermore, Christopher Nkunku is yet to make his debut due to the knee injury that he sustained during the latter stages of pre-season.
During Friday's press conference, Pochettino indicated that the France international was hoping to start training with the rest of the squad at some point next week.
While Chelsea do not return to action after the Man City contest until November 25, Pochettino hinted that the versatile attacker may need extra time before being involved in a first-team squad.
Darren Plant
