dpJoao Pedro will hope to be back on the scoresheet when Chelsea lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.
Joao Pedro for Chelsea.(Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Joao Pedro has thanked Cole Palmer for welcoming him to Chelsea ‘with open arms’. The 25-year-old striker has established himself as one of the best in the Premier League since leaving Brighton to join the Blues last year, and he’s attributed his meteoric rise to superstardom to the support of the dressing room at Stamford Bridge.
Pedro hit the ground running, firing Chelsea to glory at the Club World Cup. He then went on to score 15 goals and provide eight assists in 35 Premier League games, earning the club’s player of the season award.
The Brazil international has continued to raise eyebrows, taking his game to the next level under Xabi Alonso. So far this term, Pedro has already scored five goals and provided three assists in just seven games across all competitions, combining excellently with Palmer and Morgan Rogers in the frontline.
In an interview with ESPN, the Brazilian claimed that the togetherness in the dressing room has supplemented his development as a number nine. Pedro said: “Especially here at Chelsea, where I’m surrounded by world-class players like Cole Palmer, Reece [James] and Moses Caicedo.
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“I think my adjustment went well because it had been a while since there was a number nine here. Ever since my time at Brighton, I’d been keeping an eye on that spot.
“Even when I played against them, I knew it could be an opportunity for me, and, thank God, when I arrived, Cole was a great friend to me; he reached out to me and talked to me. I told him I was coming to help, that I didn’t want to take his spot, nothing like that.
“And that’s where a friendship was born that we carry on both on and off the field. And I think what helps me a lot, and now Morgan too, is that we have a really great friendship on and off the field; we’re always joking around.
“I think that’s why. I think the players were really friendly toward me when I arrived; they welcomed me with open arms, wanted to help me, and were willing to do so. So I think that’s why I adapted so well.”
Singling out Alonso for praise, too, Pedro added: “At Chelsea, I feel very comfortable. It’s a different season, with a coach who gives me a lot of confidence, and I think that’s a big part of my performance so far this season.”
Under the former Real Madrid boss, Palmer and Rogers have essentially been deployed as inside forwards, meaning at least one of them is always in close proximity to Pedro. When quizzed on the 3-4-2-1 formation, the Brazilian said: “I think it does make it easier.
“I have Cole and Morgan there to help me, to feed me the passes. You can see that the start of the season has been really good. So I think it’s going to be a really good season for us.”
Pedro has scored three goals in his last two appearances against Tottenham Hotspur, which certainly bodes well ahead of Saturday night’s clash at Stamford Bridge…
