Chelsea: How Joao Pedro overcame season of chaos to produce glittering debut campaign | OneFootball

Summer signing able to dream of World Cup glory in spite of Blues’ struggles

That wonder-goal against Nottingham Forest was characteristic of a player who has kept his standards high throughout a season of turmoil at Stamford Bridge.

It was an apt enough end to Chelsea’s humiliating barren spell. Not in their 121-year history have they gone six straight league games not only losing but also failing to score each time.

A minute or two before that ghastly milestone, Joao Pedro cannoned that bicycle kick past a rooted Matz Sels. Had the afternoon not already been taken so far away from Chelsea, supporters might well have celebrated it more fervently.

Chelsea narrowly avoided making ignominious history thanks to Joao Pedro’s wondergoal

Joao Pedro’s first season at Chelsea has not been easy. Two head coaches have left, public questioning of the club’s identity has been a near-constant, and results have tailed away, badly, as the campaign has unravelled.

Joao Pedro agreed to join the Blues midway through their Club World Cup campaign in the United States after meeting with Sam Jewell, one of Chelsea’s sporting directors who he knew from Brighton, while on holiday in Rio de Janeiro last summer.

His mind was sharply focused on what joining Chelsea could mean for him in a different competition, though: the Champions League. He had never played in it before.

Look how that turned out — Chelsea hammered 8-2 on aggregate by ruthless Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 and brutally shown how far away they are from returning to the top table.

Even Joao Pedro’s impetus could not help Chelsea avoid humiliation at the hands of PSG

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They head to Anfield this afternoon to face a Liverpool team have also endured a dire season, relative to their lofty standards. Liverpool are fourth in the league. Chelsea are ninth.

And yet Joao Pedro has never grumbled, never downed tools when others have had that charge levelled at them. His transfer fee of £60million was a not insignificant outlay, even for big-spending Chelsea, yet the investment has never once been questioned.

Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana and other high earners have been disappointing. Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and other summer signings have flopped. Joao Pedro has succeeded.

His maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge has clocked up 20 goals and counting; impressive numbers. His chances of leading the line for Brazil at this summer’s World Cup — something he described to The Standard as his “dream” in September — have never been closer to becoming a reality.

Calum McFarlane has done little to boost Chelsea’s fortunes since replacing Liam Rosenior

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Calum McFarlane, as caretaker head coach, then assistant manager, now interim head coach, has had a front-row seat for the second half of the season and been consistently impressed by the Brazilian’s creativity, hold-up play, goalscoring and work ethic.

“It was a great goal,” McFarlane said of Monday’s acrobatic effort against Forest. “He's scored some amazing goals this season.

“He brings a lot to the team. He's got a lot of talent. He hasn't surprised me. I see his talent every day. I see what he's capable of in training. I see what he's capable of in Premier League matches and Champions League matches. I think he has a top, top talent.”

McFarlane may be forced into using Joao Pedro as a makeshift left winger at Anfield due to an injury crisis out wide, but No9, he feels, is where he thrives.

“At the moment he's probably looking like he's most comfortable in the No9 position, but I think with his skillset and his talent and physicality, he can play in various roles. I wouldn't pigeonhole him to one.”

In another grim week at Chelsea, overshadowed by their latest defeat, the club’s official social media channels posted a compilation video featuring every one of Joao Pedro’s Chelsea goals so far. That felt telling. His campaign individually is a rare success story in Chelsea’s rotten season. At the moment, he is their greatest hope of getting a result in any game.