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Rest is Football
Chelsea have been reliant on one attacker for much of the season so far.
Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker appear to view on Chelsea player differently when it comes to whether he is a top-level star. The Blues were left frustrated on Saturday when they drew with strugglers Burnley at home, and they were lucky not to concede a winner late on.
Joao Pedro put Chelsea ahead, but Wesley Fofana’s red card saw them come apart in the latter stages of the game.
Joao Pedro’s goal means he now has 11 for the season and it she club’s leading scorer in his first season with the club. Despite that, Shearer has questioned whether the forward is of the top quality. “I think Joao Pedro is a really, really talented player,” Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast.
“Whether he’s enough to take Chelsea to the next level and to where they want to be in terms of titles and the champions League is a different conversation. But in terms of his ability, he’s excellent.”
Lineker sees things a little differently, not afraid to be bold on Joao Pedro’s top-class ability. He said: “Another goal for Joao Pedro at the weekend so let’s talk about signed strikers in the Premier League.
“Isak, Ekitike, Pedro, Gyokeres and Sesko were the big ones weren’t they last summer. Ekitike has done really well and similar numbers but Pedro has perhaps gone slightly under the radar in terms of how well he’s done. I think he’s a very good footballer, he’s technically very gifted. I think he’s a really good player, he does remind me a little bit of Kai Havertz.
“They’re similar type of players, both very technically gifted and they both almost glide around the pitch. I think he’s a really good player.”
Richards on Joao Pedro
Micah Richards also had his say on the Chelsea forward, who he believes is a ‘very clever’ player. “I think Joao Pedro is a little bit different to the other ones you mentioned,” said the former Man City defender.
“He’s more of a No. 10 or a false nine. When you look at his goal record it’s very good considering the positions he takes up on the pitch. He goes very deep and links the play very well, he’s very clever and really good in the air actually. I think he’s done ever so well and we knew he was excellent from his time at Brighton.”
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