'I don't know what came over me' - Chelsea striker Nicholas Jackson explains heated confrontation with fan during Brentford defeat

The Senegal international was involved in an altercation with a Chelsea fan who told him to 'wake up' as he spoke with coach Mauricio Pochettino during the game. Pochettino then discussed the situation with the supporter as Chelsea went on to lose 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

"To the fan, I have to say sorry. I never had this before. At Villarreal, you play without so much pressure because it’s a different team, but I know it comes from a good place," he told The Telegraph. “Normally, I don’t talk to fans or get distracted by what they say. I don’t know what came over me. It must have been frustration. It’s not a small thing, everybody at the game expecting you to do what they want you to. It’s because they love you, not because they hate you. They want you to make them happy. Now I know that. I was in Villarreal, but it was a different environment. You don’t have these kinds of things there. In Chelsea, it’s different."

Jackson was criticised by former England striker Alan Shearer after the game, who mentioned the 22-year-old's "complete lack of movement". Pochettino defended the attacker, and Jackson says he has no need to respond to critics, adding: "Cristiano [Ronaldo] would score 30 or 35 goals a season and people would criticise him. You’d never hear him talk about it, he’d just respond with a celebration. So it doesn’t affect me. I’m learning from him, I’d never answer back to criticism. I know what I can do, I believe in myself."

The ex-Villarreal forward will likely be in action on Saturday when his team visit St James' Park to face Newcastle in the Premier League.