Chelsea forward Joao Pedro believes the club's attacking trio of himself, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers will leave Premier League defenders chasing shadows this season. All three scored in Chelsea's 3-2 win at Fulham on Monday night, the team's first victory of the campaign under new head coach Xabi Alonso.
Pedro, a Brazil international, said the movement, understanding and goals of the front line make them "very special" and incredibly difficult to stop. He praised his fellow attackers, saying: "Cole and Morgan are special players. Everyone knows that. I'm very grateful to play with them because I know if I make some runs, if you know Cole, Morgan's going to give the ball to me and I have to be ready to score. So it's very special."
Movement and freedom key
Pedro explained that the trio's constant movement makes it hard for defenders to mark them. "I think now in the game, if we move a lot, it will be difficult for defenders to pick up one player to stay," he said. "And the manager let us be free on the pitch, so we understand each other well. I think this helps us, and hopefully, it can happen more times."
The Brazil star added that playing for Chelsea means always aiming for the biggest trophies. "When you play for Chelsea, you always need to look for that (the biggest trophies), and I think we've already had a great game to show our power and hopefully we can continue like this in the season," he said.
Rested and ready
Pedro and Palmer both had the summer off after not being selected for their national squads for the World Cup, while Rogers – Chelsea's £117m British record transfer – returned energized from England's campaign. With no European football this season, the team has extra time to train under Alonso.
Pedro said the break helped him recover. "The summer was very good because I didn't go to Brazil squad in the World Cup, so I had a time to recover myself, relax a bit, to be ready," he said. "I think we need to go step by step. We have to focus on the Premier League and the cups. We have a lot of time to train as well to know what the coach wants from us."
He welcomed Rogers' arrival, noting they have faced each other before. "I know Morgan from a long time ago because we played against each other. So when he joined the club, I knew. It was very good for us because he's a very good player, and I think he can help us like he has already," Pedro said.
No fears over No9 shirt
Pedro has taken the No9 shirt this season, a number associated with past Chelsea forwards who struggled, including Mateja Kezman, Hernan Crespo, Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao, Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Tammy Abraham, Romelu Lukaku, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Liam Delap. But he insisted he has no fears about the shirt.
"I just try to do my job. I don't believe in that. Every player is different," he said. "I think now I know my responsibility in the group, but I don't think numbers can decide this pressure. I just try to enjoy and try to help my team every game. Any day of the season, see what I get. I think I just try to score every opportunity I have."
