Nicolas Jackson’s return to form at Aston Villa has been welcomed by former Senegal international Mohamed Adama Sarr after the striker scored twice against Manchester City.

The Senegal international has now registered seven goals in 11 appearances in all competitions since joining Aston Villa from Chelsea this summer for 55 million euros.

Jackson’s latest double came in Aston Villa’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the eighth round of the Premier League. It followed another two-goal performance in the UEFA Champions League, when Aston Villa defeated Fenerbahce 6-0 on matchday two.

The forward is working once again with Unai Emery, who coached him during the early part of his career at CF Villarreal. Sarr said Jackson’s performances showed that he had regained his sharpness and was taking on a new dimension with Aston Villa.

Jackson’s goals have come alongside those of fellow Senegalese player Ibrahim Mbaye and his other Aston Villa team-mates. His recent run represents a significant change in fortunes after he faced criticism during his time at Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Sarr has encouraged Jackson to maintain his current standards and establish consistency over a longer period rather than allowing the strong start to remain a short-lived spell of form.

Aston Villa’s next fixture is their fourth-round League Cup tie against Bournemouth.