Joao Pedro has said Chelsea’s lack of consistency stems from a lack of focus. This comes after he scored the winning goal against Tottenham and then started the 2-2 Champions League draw against Qarabag.
The 24-year-old scored the game-winning goal in the 34th minute at Spurs on Saturday, ending an eight-match league drought. Chelsea then conceded a lead in Baku, leaving the side with 7 points halfway through the league phase.
Speaking about their 2-2 draw, the Brazilian said:
“We started well, then we complicated the game. We came here to win and got a draw. We dropped our level of concentration in the game and if you drop, the other team is going to score.
“[We can learn] a lot. We’re playing in the Champions League. If we want to win games, we have to be 100% focused for the whole game. We need to learn how to concentrate for the full game because if we start to drop points in the Premier League, it will be tough to be in the Champions League again next year.”
Chelsea stumbles to a 2-2 draw with Qarabag
Chelsea and Qarabag played to a 2-2 draw in Baku. The Blues gave up two goals in the first half and needed a goal in the second half to avoid losing. Enzo Maresca’s team still has work to do to reach the top eight in the Champions League’s group stage.
In the 16th minute, Estevao put Chelsea ahead, but their defense fell apart after that. Leandro Andrade scored the equalizer in the 29th minute when Jorrel Hato failed to clear his lines. Marko Jankovic scored a penalty kick before halftime after Hato was called for handball.
Maresca made three changes at the break, bringing in Alejandro Garnacho, who scored the equalizer early in the second half. Chelsea pushed hard at the end, but Qarabag also had chances, showing that the game was evenly matched in terms of shots and phases. The draw gave Qarabag their first point against an English team in the tournament.