Mauricio Pochettino has been hailed for his decision to use Nicolas Jackson as an out and out striker against Manchester City last weekend was the right one, according to former Everton star, Leon Osman.

Pochettino has used Cole Palmer as his number nine lately, while Jackson is deployed to the flanks due to his effectiveness in that position in the 3-1 win against Aston Villa two weeks ago.

However against Man City, Pochettino decided to revert to his old system, by playing the Nicolas Jackson up top, and the decision paid off, as the 22-year-old constantly threatened the opposition back line, and even supplied Raheem Sterling with the brilliant assist that led to his goal for Chelsea in the first half.

Osman, who played as a midfielder for Everton, was very impressed with what he saw from Jackson, and told BBC Radio 5 Live during the 1-1 draw at the Etihad stadium: “Chelsea are continuing to look dangerous on the break. The decision to play Nicolas Jackson through the middle is paying off. Jackson should have picked out Conor Gallagher earlier, but it was a difficult finish for Gallagher.”

Despite being on the receiving end of some criticism from Chelsea fans during the draw with Man City after missing a few clear opportunities, Jackson’s contributions for Chelsea cannot be overlooked. He was a menace throughout the game with his wonderful runs in attack, and even helped set up a goal.

The £32m man’s late substitution was obviously a mistake by Pochettino because it didn’t take long for Man City to equalise after he left, but in all, his display was a very positive one, and further prove that he is more useful than many realise.