Speaking before Chelsea’s important Premier League game against Arsenal on Sunday, Pedro Neto said he was happy to finally have a full season of regular playing time. The Portuguese international has had to deal with a lot of injuries during his career, but this season at Stamford Bridge has been his best so far.
The 25-year-old has scored ten goals in all competitions this season, which is the first time in his professional career that he has scored more than ten goals in a single season. He recently scored a memorable hat trick against Hull City in the FA Cup fourth round on February 13. Neto said:
“It has been really good. I think I’ve been getting better and learning a lot. This is probably the first time I’ve played a lot of minutes in a season, so I’m really enjoying it and want to do more. I will keep working hard to get better and to change things up in order to learn and improve my game.”
This season, the former Wolves player has played more than 2,000 minutes in the Premier League, scoring five goals and assisting four more. These numbers are a big deal for a player whose previous seasons were often cut short by injuries. In April 2021, Neto badly hurt his knee and had to sit out for 10 months. After that, he had problems with his ankle and hamstring, which made it hard for him to play at Molineux.
Neto talked about the expectations that come with playing for Chelsea and how hard it is to live up to them. He said that life at one of England’s biggest clubs is very stressful. The winger said:
“When you play here, you have a lot of expectations, like if you can be champion or not, if you can make the Champions League or not, and if you don’t do it, the pressure is a lot. It’s good pressure, and you only feel it if you let it, but that’s how this club works.”
Chelsea Face Arsenal in North London
Chelsea and Arsenal will play each other in the Premier League at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, March 1, at 4:30 p.m. GMT. The Blues are looking to end a frustrating run of results that has cost them valuable points in their quest for Champions League football.
Liam Rosenior’s team are going to North London after failing to earn the most points in their last two games at Stamford Bridge. They drew with Leeds United and Burnley in games they were expected to win.
Since Rosenior took over in January, the Blues have not lost a game in the Premier League. However, it has become a worrying trend that they can’t turn their dominance into wins.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are in a good mood for this London derby after beating Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners beat their North London rivals in a strong performance, proving once again that they are serious title contenders. Mikel Arteta’s team are at the top of the Premier League and will do everything they can to stay ahead of Manchester City, who are trying to catch up.