[Chelsea](https://chelseanews.com/) had another bold summer transfer window this year, bringing in a heavy dose of attacking talent with players like Estevao Willian, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Liam Delap, and Joao Pedro arriving to Stamford Bridge.
After a strong 2024/25 season for Brighton, who have become almost a feeder club for Chelsea, Joao Pedro arrived to the Blues with a lot of fanfare and started the 2025/26 campaign incredibly brightly on white hot form.
However, Pedro’s form has fallen off quickly, and he’s been in a bit of a slump. He hasn’t scored a goal in the Premier League since August and hasn’t registered a single gaol contribution in his last five league appearances.
Chelsea manager Enzo Marssca told the brutal truth about Pedro at a recent press conference, plainly stating that he isn’t the guy to score 20 goals in a Premier League season:
“The physical part is important. When you are not 100%, it is difficult to compete. Joao’s going to score goals and give us assists. He is not going to score 20 goals a year. He’s a different striker profile”.
Joao Pedro isn’t currently injured, but Maresca seems to be shielding the Brazilian center forward a little bit by invoking that he isn’t 100 percent. He was struggling through something a bit ago, but he played 85 and 90 minutes in the last two Premier League appearances against Sunderland and Nottingham Forest.
The all-around game is the real key for Pedro, and on the topic of injuries, he has really missed the other new striker, Liam Delap, with injury, as Pedro’s best play came with the England youth forward.
Pedro is a talented footballer with a great feel for the game, but he’s a different kind of striker. Chelsea need someone up top who can be a 20-goal monster, and Maresca is admitting the reality that Pedro isn’t that kind of a player, though, in truth, the Blues likely already knew that.
Even in Pedro’s slump, the all-around game has been palpable. He was actually pretty good against Forest overall, and even though he struggled against a sharp Sunderland defense, he still had a few nifty dribbles for Chelsea.
Joe Soriano is the editor of _The Trivela Effect_ and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like _The Real Champs_ (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage _NFL Spin Zone_ and _Daily DDT,_ covering the NFL and pro wrestling.