Why Unai Emery will be licking his lips at what 'magnificent' Nicolas Jackson did for Senegal

Nicolas Jackson is a man in form right now.

The 25-year-old scored in Aston Villa's 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.

He was then on target as Senegal drew 1-1 with Mozambique in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying last Friday.

And he played a crucial role for the Lions of Teranga in their 1-0 victory over Ethiopia on Tuesday, setting up the winning goal.

What Villa supporters will love most is the fact that Jackson set up his club team-mate Ibrahim Mbaye to smash home the only goal of the game.

And the Senegalese media was also impressed by how the former Chelsea striker performed against Ethiopia.

What did the Senegal media say about Aston Villa ace Nicolas Jackson?

Jackson is starting to find his feet at Villa Park after joining from Chelsea during the summer transfer window.

He has a couple of goals to his name already, scoring in the Champions League win over Club Brugge as well as the Spurs victory.

Against Ethiopia, he helped up the ball brilliantly before excellently teeing up Mbaye, whose first touch was fantastic before he fired home.

And his performance was noted by outlets in Senegal, who particularly enjoyed how he brought others into the game.

WiwSports wrote of Jackson: "A tough nut to crack for the opposing defense. Without touching the ball much, the Aston Villa striker made the most of the balls that passed to him, as seen in his magnificent assist for Mbaye's opening goal and his contribution in the 41st minute.

"He found space in the tightest of areas and battled relentlessly. A complete performance thanks to his fighting spirit and technique. But his display could have been even better had he scored from that chance in the 86th minute."

And DSports added: "Having scored in Mozambique, the Aston Villa striker took on the role of playmaker this afternoon.

"His goal-scoring move was a textbook example: a deft touch, precise timing, and a pinpoint pass to Mbaye. Jackson's presence creates crucial space and puts pressure on the opposing defense with his quality hold-up play."

Why Unai Emery will love Nicolas Jackson performance

Obviously, managers and fans always want their strikers to be scoring goals.

But last night, it was the way that Jackson linked up play, brought in Senegal's attackers, and was a constant creative outlet.

Especially, from a Villa standpoint, the way he brilliantly linked up with Mbaye in what is hopefully a sign of more to come for the Villans in the future.

In the game, he made two key passes and created one big chance, while he won four of the five ground duels he contested.

He had two shots during the game, with one frustration being that he missed one big chance - set up by Mbaye - late in the game.

But he also had a progressive carrying distance of 41.7 metres, in what was a hugely encouraging performance.

Unai Emery will be licking his lips at the thought of what he can bring to Villa once domestic action resumes, particularly the way he was bring others so effectively into the game.