Nicolas Jackson earns comparisons to a Chelsea legend, Sandro Tonali needs time to adapt and Reece James lays out his captaincy credentials... FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED from Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Newcastle
Miguel Almiron scored on his return to Atlanta to earn Newcastle a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League Summer Series.
The two sides faced off in Atlanta, Georgia on the US leg of their second pre-season tours, with Chelsea having already beaten Wrexham and Brighton, while the Magpies were held 3-3 by Aston Villa.
As a result, Newcastle went second-bottom of their friendly group with two points, while the Blues move up to second with four after two games, having beaten the Seagulls in their friendly tournament opener.
With both sides ringing the changes throughout the game - Chelsea more so than Newcastle, it was a chance for both Mauricio Pochettino and Eddie Howe to get a better look at the state of their squads ahead of the start of the 2023-24 campaign.
Mail Sport's CRAIG HOPE was at a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Stadium to bring you his five talking points…
The comparison is starting to feel increasingly valid with each passing game, but Nicolas Jackson shares a lot of characteristics with a peak Didier Drogba. The raw ingredients of hunger and tenacity are there but, more pertinently for Chelsea, so too is the instinct to score goals and run in behind centre backs. ‘Handful’ just about captures it.
Jackson only played for 45 minutes but again he left a big impression. His goal was another cool finish, springing from the shoulder of Sven Botman and stroking into the bottom corner. His power was soon evident when he left two Newcastle players in a heap by the corner flag - they had both picked a fight, and lost.
Mauricio Pochettino says that Jackson has earned more of his trust during this trip, and it all points towards him leading the line during the Premier League opener against Liverpool.
Sandro Tonali looked
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