Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shared his candid assessment of Christopher Nkunku’s full debut for Chelsea against Crystal Palace.
Nkunku, who had previously come off the bench in the last two matches, made his first competitive start for Chelsea following his return from a knee injury.
In a crucial Premier League encounter, Chelsea secured a 2-1 home victory against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening. Mykhailo Mudryk opened the scoring for the hosts with a straightforward finish in the one-sided first half. However, Palace managed to equalise on the stroke of half-time, with Michael Olise firing in a goal at the back post. The decisive moment came in the 89th minute when Chelsea substitute Noni Madueke scored the winner from the penalty spot.
During the halftime analysis, former Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink offered significant praise for Christopher Nkunku based on his performance for Chelsea against Crystal Palace. The French attacker, who played 70 minutes before being substituted, played a crucial role in connecting many of Chelsea’s attacks during the match as he played in a free roaming role as a number ten.
“He’s brilliant. He gives them something different. He gives them calmness. Give me the ball and I will get something going… It looks like they’re getting something going (Nkunku and Jackson)… He’s got a lot of quality,” Hasselbaink told Amazon Prime Video.
Chelsea are next in action as they travel to Luton Town at the weekend for their final game of 2023, where Nkunku will likely see a second consecutive start in the Premier League.