Joao Pedro Reveals Xabi Alonso's Secret After Scoring Chelsea Pre-Season Hat-Trick | OneFootball

A winning start for Chelsea in Australia as they beat Western Sydney Wanderers in their pre-season opener. Video Credit: Absolute Chelsea

Joao Pedro has revealed Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has given him the freedom to play up front following an incredible performance in pre-season.

After bagging 20 goals and nine assists for Chelsea across all competitions last season, Joao Pedro is expected to continue to lead the line for the team this season.

If there was any doubt about whether he deserves to keep his spot, the Brazil international has proved himself in the first pre-season game of Chelsea’s tour in Australia and Asia.

Having come on the pitch as a substitute in the second half, he provided an assist and scored a hat-trick to seal Chelsea’s 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday.

The key to his performance may have been the licence to roam that Alonso has given the striker.

“He’s a very open coach. We talk a lot,” Joao Pedro told Paramount+ Australia when asked about the new Chelsea manager.

“I feel free when I play in front, I move a lot.

“So he gives that option for me, sometimes I play on the left, sometimes in the middle. So that’s what I learned with him.”

How effective Joao Pedro can be when given the freedom to roam on the pitch is perfectly shown in the build-up to Gittens’ goal.

The striker picked up the ball on the left wing, glided past several defenders to get into the box, and still managed to find the unmarked Gittens in front of the goal.

It makes perfect sense to give him the freedom, given that he has the skill set to play in multiple attacking roles.

Following the arrival of Morgan Rogers, Chelsea arguably have one of the best offensive personnel in the Premier League, at least on paper.

The task is to keep these attackers fit throughout the season, and the lack of European football this season should really help in this area.

Cole Palmer’s injury absences in the last campaign clearly had a big impact on the team’s overall performance, and so did Estevao’s and Gittens’.

Fortunately, Joao Pedro has been relatively healthy over the last couple of seasons, having missed only two games, which came due to an injury in 2025/26.

Chelsea's Joao Pedro celebrates scoring their sixth goal with teammates. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

His omission from the Brazil squad for the World Cup, while quite unfortunate for him personally, may prove beneficial to Chelsea’s season.

Speaking about his objectives for the new season, Joao Pedro believes the more he scores, the better it is for the team.

“I think I want to achieve the highest level possible with the team,” he explained.

“I’m always going to try to score to help my team, and hopefully next season can be better than last season.”

Before the season opener against Fulham at Craven Cottage on August 24, Chelsea are scheduled to play five more pre-season friendlies.

Four of them will be on this tour, and the next opponent is London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on August 1.