‘Scared’ – Joao Pedro admits feeling intimidated by one Chelsea teammate
Joao Pedro was clearly feeling the pressure when leaving Brighton for Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea this summer.
Pedro signed for Chelsea in a deal worth over £50 million and was joined by Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, and Facundo Buonanotte in the forward line.
After a short cameo against Palmeiras, Pedro scored twice against Palmeiras at the Club World Cup, opening his account for the Blues, even scoring in the final against PSG over in America.
Delap has picked up a new injury at Chelsea, going off against Fulham with a hamstring injury, making his teammate’s positive start to life at Stamford Bridge all the more important for Maresca.
Joao Pedro worried about Cole Palmer’s initial reaction to his Chelsea arrival
The former Brighton star had some early concerns following his big-money move from the Amex Stadium, mainly about working with Chelsea’s biggest star, Cole Palmer.
Speaking to The Standard (4 September), Pedro said: “Cole is a superstar. When I came to Chelsea, I was a little bit scared about how he was going to react, because I was the main guy at Brighton.
“I knew Chelsea would be different. I said, ‘Cole, I’m here to help you.’
“He knows I can help him, and I know he can help me. We have good chemistry on the pitch; I think he feels the same. Together, we can win more titles for Chelsea.”
The duo have already linked up on the pitch, with Palmer assisting the Brazilian’s goal in the 3-0 win over PSG in the Club World Cup final.
Where does Joao Pedro rank in the Premier League’s best performers so far?
With two goals and two assists from his first three Premier League games, not to mention his three goals from the Club World Cup, it is safe to say that Pedro has hit the ground running for the Blues.
His arrival has made a huge impact at Stamford Bridge. Nicolas Jackson sealed a move to Bayern Munich while Christopher Nkunku joined AC Milan, with both dropping down the pecking order significantly.
According to FotMob, the 23-year-old currently ranks 12th in the Premier League for highest average rankings so far, below the likes of Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, and Jack Grealish.
A frustrating dead-rubber against Crystal Palace saw his rating get off to a bad start, but with his goal contributions moving Chelsea to second in the table, he is already turning out to be quite the signing.