“He’s very hungry”: Alonso hails Joao Pedro after blistering pre-season treble for Chelsea | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso has said Joao Pedro is hungry to succeed at Chelsea this season after starting pre-season with a hat-trick.

Pedro came off the bench to score a nine-minute hat-trick as Chelsea beat Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4 in their first fixture under Alonso.

The Brazilian scored three times in quick succession to start Chelsea's tour of Australia, a continuation on from his excellent first season at Stamford Bridge.

Pedro scored 23 goals across all competitions in 2025/26, performances that earned him Chelsea's Player of the Season award.

The 24-year-old was a surprise omission from the Brazil squad for the 2026World Cup, but Alonso believes that has only increased Pedro's 'hunger' ahead of the upcoming campaign.

"He's very hungry – Joao is really, really determined to have a great season,"Alonso said after the pre-season win.

"He wants to – after a great last year, where he scored many goals – I think that he wants to keep scoring more and more. But we need to help him, as on his own it's not possible.

"He will have the players around him and they need to have this hunger to score as well. It's not just about the striker, but every time that we win and our striker scores, I am happy."