Joao Pedro, Chelsea and striking a balance
Five issues raised by Chelsea's semi-final win at the Club World Cup
Joao Pedro’s impact. A truer assessment of Chelsea’s latest striker will come in the final of the Club World Cup when he’s up against a more substantial barrier than a 44-year-old goalkeeper for a team currently sixth in the Brasileirão. It’s too early to depict anyone as a saviour, especially at Chelsea with their noted issues recruiting strikers. Michy Batshuayi began well, scoring a winner and providing a winning assist in his opening two games. I remember a group of us going out for dinner with Chris Sutton – top of Harvey Nicks, very nice, Sutton good company – and talking about his aims of being the answer to Chelsea’s centre-forward problems. Sutton tried hard, missed a couple of sitters, lost confidence and was moved on.
So some circumspection needs applying. Chelsea fans have every reason to be excited about Joao Pedro, and he showed his quality at Brighton & Hove Albion that encouraged Chelsea to pay £55m for him. The more experienced Chelsea fans will reserve judgement on “JP”. For every Didier Drogba, Diego Costa and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink there has been a Mateja Kezman, Alvaro Morata, Timo Werner, Radamel Falcao (inhibited by injuries), Adrian Mutu (inhibited by off-field issues) or Andrei Shevchenko (great player, wrong club).
But Joao Pedro’s work ethic and belief will serve him well at Chelsea. His impact on the semi-final was spectacular, finishing twice from range against Fluminense, his boyhood love. His impact on Chelsea was more than the goals, it was his pressing, linking and movement, occasionally gliding wide, either to get possession or create space in the centre for a midfielder like Enzo Fernandez to attack.
His impact is also on the other strikers. Enzo Maresca makes the valid point that Joao Pedro can operate as a No 10 and wide. But Chelsea have strong options there. It’s centre-forward where they need the Brazilian most. If so, should - or will - Nicolas Jackson stay? He’s now third choice behind Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. It highlights even further the folly of Jackson getting himself sent off against Flamengo in the group stage, gifting opportunity to Delap and Joao Pedro. Jackson was also selfish not to square to the better-placed Cole Palmer when coming on against Fluminense. He lacks Joao Pedro’s decision-making (although impressed for Senegal against England at the City Ground last month).