Joao Pedro has played himself out of Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea XI after atrocious performance vs Arsenal | OneFootball

Chelsea lost their first game at Stamford Bridge under new manager Liam Rosenior, going down 3-2 to Arsenal in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final clash.

Chelsea huffed and puffed, but two mistakes from Robert Sanchez and a well-taken goal from Martin Zubimendi gave the Gunners a healthy advantage.

The Blues showed some fight, forcing two goals through Alejandro Garnacho.

However, CFC were ultimately too easy to play through, as Mikel Arteta’s side claimed a routine victory against their London rivals.

The Chelsea backline was all over the place, and Sanchez was the poorest player on the pitch, but Joao Pedro was incredibly frustrating to watch again.

Pedro played multiple positions and still looked poor across the pitch. His penchant for holding onto the ball too long is jarring.

When he did release the ball, he often gave it away. He lost the ball 12 times and didn’t manage to influence play positively.

Pedro has been playing badly for weeks now. He has not covered himself in glory against Bournemouth, Fulham, and Manchester City.

Chelsea needed the Brazilian to anchor play and be decisive, but he has been a liability instead.

At some point, patience runs out. Performances like this do little to justify Pedro’s place in the XI, especially with alternatives emerging.

Liam Delap has looked reborn in recent weeks, sharper without the ball and more decisive in possession.

Crucially, Rosenior knows Delap well, having worked with him before, and that familiarity could count for plenty as the new manager looks to stamp his authority on this side.

Chelsea need clarity, intensity and players who execute quickly, not players who slow everything down.

It would be no surprise to see Pedro rotated out of the team altogether.

On current form, the 24-year-old may already have played himself out of Rosenior’s strongest line-up for the foreseeable future.