![\"Burnley](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2247325692.jpg\")
\n\t\tChelsea boss Enzo Maresca (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tChelsea boss Enzo Maresca (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
Former Chelsea<\/a> midfielder Emmanuel Petit<\/a> is concerned by the form of Joao Pedro<\/a> and said the striker has \u2018dropped off\u2019 after his bright start to life at the club.<\/p>\n Joao Pedro, who signed for \u00a360million from Brighton<\/a> in the summer, made a fast start at his new club, scoring three goals in his first three games to help Chelsea win the Club World Cup<\/a> in the Unites States.<\/p>\n Indeed, the Brazilian international also started brightly in the Premier League<\/a>, scoring three and assisting one in his first four games of the season.<\/p>\n Joao Pedro, however, soon found the burden of goalscoring responsibility placed firmly on his shoulders after Nicolas Jackson<\/a> left for Bayern Munich<\/a> and Liam Delap picked up an injury in the first few weeks of the season.<\/p>\n And the 24-year-old\u2019s goal return has dried up noticeably in the following months, with the striker scoring only twice in his last 12 appearances in all competitions.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tYour ultimate guide to the football season\t\t\t<\/p>\n Metro’s football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday \u2013 sign up<\/a>, it’s an open goal.<\/p>\n Chelsea\u2019s impressive win over Barcelona saw Maresca opt to deploy Pedro Neto as a central striker, with both Delap and Joao Pedro resigned to watching from the bench.<\/p>\n And former Blues midfielder Petit admitted it is hard not to be concerned about Joao Pedro\u2019s form after what had initially been such a bright start as Chelsea\u2019s new No9.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018The striker curse might have got to Joao Pedro at Chelsea,\u2019 Petit told Snabbare<\/a>. \u2018It\u2019s weird. There are two \u2018curses\u2019 at this club, the goalkeeper position and the number nine.<\/p>\n \u2018Honestly, I was very impressed with him when he started at the Club World Cup, and then he did it again when he came back during the summer. But week after week, he has been dropping off.<\/p>\n \u2018Look at the game in midweek against Barcelona. Pedro Neto was playing striker, and they have three strikers. They have three strikers, and none of them started against Barcelona.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018I looked at the game, I looked at the team sheet, and I looked at the players on the bench and I thought, what? There are three strikers on the bench? No one started the game?<\/p>\n \u2018What\u2019s going on? If I remember right, all of them were bought last season at the end of the season, and no one is playing in top games?\u2019<\/p>\n Petit suggested that Chelsea\u2019s depth in attacking areas might actually be affecting Pedro, with Maresca\u2019s constant chopping and changing not allowing the striker to settle into a rhythm in the starting lineup.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMaresca: ‘Joao Pedro is not going to score 20 goals a year’\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t Speaking earlier in the season, Maresca said Chelsea fans should not expect Joao Pedro to reach Erling Haaland\u2019s levels of goalscoring.<\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s going to score goals with us, he\u2019s going to give us assists, knowing that Joao Pedro is not a No9 that is going to score 20 goals each year,\u2019 the Italian said.<\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s a fantastic player, he\u2019s going to score goals for us, he\u2019s going to give us assists. But it\u2019s a different kind of nine, not like this kind of nine that they score 20-25 goals each year. Lewandowski, Mbappe or Haaland, this kind is a different profile.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018What I can say about it is when you put too much competition to earn your place, it sometimes becomes very difficult for the players,\u2019 he added. \u2018We come back to the pressure Estevao will receive from his manager after his comments.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s the same situation that the strikers are living under for years now at Chelsea. You don\u2019t perform well, you go on the bench. Next, you don\u2019t perform well, you go on the bench too. It\u2019s like this all the time.<\/p>\n \u2018I think confidence has been dropping for some players. Injuries as well. Liam Delap, for example, has been injured. He just came back. If Delap was not injured, I\u2019m pretty sure he would probably be the first choice for Maresca.<\/p>\n \u2018I think Joao Pedro needs to understand that when you\u2019re a striker, you\u2019re judged on your stats. If you don\u2019t score, it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n \u2018We don\u2019t care what they do on the pitch until they score. That\u2019s their mission. Their number one mission is to put the ball into the net. <\/p>\n \u2018If you don\u2019t do that, and this is the problem at Chelsea, when they start the game, they don\u2019t score goals. The following game, they\u2019re on the bench. Confidence drops, and this is a circle\u2019<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2249199273.jpg\")
\n\t\tJoao Pedro has struggled in front of goal in recent months (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"GettyImages-2248639668\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2248639668.jpg\")
\n\t\tJoao Pedro and Delap have scored four league goals between them this season (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2223413076.jpg\")
\n\t\tJoao Pedro and Enzo Maresca (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
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