Nicolas Jackson is still waiting for his first Aston Villa goal after two Premier League appearances, but the early numbers provide little reason to panic over the club-record signing.
The £65million summer arrival started against Arsenal and Hull City without finding the net as Villa’s wider attacking problems continued.
Unai Emery’s side have now failed to score in each of their opening three league matches, with our analysis of Aston Villa’s goal drought showing just how difficult the opening weeks have been.
Jackson will inevitably carry some of that scrutiny because of his transfer fee and the identity of the striker he replaced.
Yet Ollie Watkins’ own Aston Villa beginning provides useful perspective.
Nicolas Jackson still waiting for first Aston Villa goal
Jackson made his Villa debut against Arsenal only two days after completing his move from Chelsea.
Emery immediately trusted the Senegal international from the start.
Jackson played 70 minutes during the 1-0 defeat before being replaced by Tammy Abraham, but Villa failed to register a shot on target against the defending Premier League champions.
The circumstances improved at Hull.
Jackson headed wide inside the opening minutes and later produced a clever flick which released John McGinn into a dangerous position.
However, another 90 minutes passed without the breakthrough Villa desperately wanted.
Sky Sports’ report from the 0-0 draw highlighted Jackson’s early header as Villa finally began creating more opportunities after two extremely quiet attacking performances.
The goal has not arrived yet.
That does not necessarily mean Villa should be concerned.
Ollie Watkins also started slowly in Premier League
Watkins eventually left Villa Park as the club’s leading Premier League goalscorer after scoring 91 league goals and 108 across all competitions.
His start was considerably quieter.
Watkins joined Villa from Brentford in September 2020 and started the opening Premier League match against Sheffield United.
He did not score.
His second league appearance came against Fulham.
Again, Watkins failed to find the net.
FBref’s match logs from Watkins’ first Aston Villa season show five shots across those opening two Premier League games but no goal.
Then everything changed.
Watkins’ third Premier League appearance produced one of the defining individual performances of his Villa career.
He scored a first-half hat-trick against Liverpool as Dean Smith’s side famously beat the reigning champions 7-2 at Villa Park.
Jackson does not need to replicate that extraordinary explosion.
The comparison simply shows how quickly the narrative surrounding a new striker can change.
Aston Villa must give Jackson more service
There is also a major difference between the environments Watkins and Jackson entered.
Villa scored four times across Watkins’ first two Premier League appearances in 2020/21.
Jackson has joined a team which has scored zero across its opening three league matches.
That matters.
The issue is not simply whether Jackson is finishing enough chances.
Villa must create them.
Jackson had no shots during his debut against Arsenal as Emery’s team failed to register an effort on target.
The picture became more encouraging at Hull, where George Hemmings finally produced Villa’s first league shot on target and created a huge opportunity for Emiliano Buendía.
We rated Hemmings as Villa’s brightest outfield player against Hull after the academy winger provided the sort of direct service Jackson will need.
Alejandro Garnacho and £47m Deadline Day signing Ibrahim Mbaye should eventually give Emery more options around his centre-forward too.
Villa have previously examined how Emery can unlock Jackson’s most dangerous role, with his movement and ability to combine with runners among the qualities which convinced the club to invest so heavily.
Club Brugge offers Jackson another chance
Jackson now has an immediate opportunity to change the conversation.
Villa travel to Belgium on Tuesday for their Champions League opener against Club Brugge.
Our predicted Aston Villa line-up against Club Brugge expects Jackson to retain his place at centre-forward as Emery considers changes around him.
Replacing Watkins was never going to be judged after two matches.
Villa’s former number nine eventually left after 108 goals and a European trophy, with our farewell to Watkins reflecting the scale of the legacy Jackson has inherited.
Watkins also needed time before his first Premier League goal arrived.
Jackson’s task now is making sure Villa do not have to wait much longer.
