Nicolas Jackson Player of the Month: why Villa’s striker deserves it

Nicolas Jackson has been named the Premier League Player of the Month for October, and it is hard to argue with the choice. Four goals in four league games, a brace that beat Manchester City and a team that did not lose once. That is a month any striker would frame.

For me, though, the award tells a bigger story than one good run. It shows Aston Villa have found the No 9 they needed, and that Jackson has found the club that suits him.

Nicolas Jackson Player of the Month: the facts

The Premier League confirmed on Friday that Jackson topped the vote, which combines fans’ choices with a panel of experts. He beat an eight-man shortlist that included Declan Rice, Evanilson, Bart Verbruggen and his Villa team-mate Ezri Konsa.

He is the first Villa player to win it since Christian Benteke in April 2015. He is also only the fourth Senegal international to collect the prize, and the first since Sadio Mané in November 2019.

It is a double for October, too. Earlier this week he won the PFA fans’ Player of the Month for the same month.

How October unfolded

It started with the equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Brentford at Villa Park. He then led the line well in a hard-earned 1-0 win at Newcastle, even without scoring. That kind of work does not make highlight reels, but managers love it.

Then came the night that changed how people see him. Jackson fired Villa ahead after six minutes against Manchester City and put them back in front just after the hour with a neat first-time finish. Villa won 2-1 and became the first side to take points off Enzo Maresca’s team this season.

Our breakdown of that win over City showed how his movement pulled defenders out of shape all evening. He finished the month with a lovely solo goal to open the scoring in a 1-1 draw with Fulham.

Across all competitions it was six goals in six games, every one of them at home. Villa ended October unbeaten in the league and still perfect in the Champions League.

Why the Villa move is working

Jackson arrived from Chelsea in the summer with a reputation. He worked hard and got into great positions, but the finishing came and went. After a season on loan at Bayern Munich, he needed a club that would trust him every week.

Unai Emery has given him exactly that. Villa play to his strengths. They get the ball forward quickly and let him run the channels. He is not asked to be a pure target man, and he is not asked to do it all on his own either.

The finishing has sharpened too. Only Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak have scored more Premier League goals this season. That puts him right in the Golden Boot conversation, which few would have predicted in August.

Can he keep it going?

The early signs in November are good. He scored again in the wild 4-4 draw with Manchester United last weekend, and he already has three Champions League goals this season.

The tough nights will come. Villa were well beaten 3-0 in Barcelona earlier this month, and Jackson could not find a way through when his one big chance came. The test now is to score in the scrappy games as well as the big ones, starting with Sunderland at Villa Park after the international break.

My verdict

This is a deserved award, and it feels like more than a hot streak. Jackson looks settled, confident and central to everything Villa do in attack. If he stays fit, I would not be surprised to see his name on that shortlist again before the season is out.

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