Despite no longer being a Chelsea player, Thiago Silva continues to show his allegiance with a glowing report on striker Joao Pedro.
Joao Pedro is catching the eyes of everyone after an explosive last month or so.
Even John Terry is making Didier Drogba comparisons about Pedro. That’s how far he’s come in such a short space of time, with 18 goals already, with a quarter of the season still to go.
Chelsea have already got their £60 million worth, but with Champions League football and a top-five finish still on the line, the job is far from finished.
Thiago Silva has played Pedro many times before, and even he’s been impressed watching his development at Chelsea this season.
Who are you starting on the left vs PSG?
Thiago Silva hails the surprising strength of Joao Pedro
Speaking to TNT Sports Brasil, Thiago Silva reminisced over the few performances he’s had against Chelsea’s Joao Pedro so far. Including the clash with Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup.
“João Pedro. I faced him at Watford, at Brighton, and now at Chelsea. João Pedro moves a lot, right?
“A lot. That’s what I was trying to say – because I put Haaland at 8. João Pedro is basically on the same line as Benzema and Kane. I don’t mean technically, I mean in terms of movement: drifting away from you, almost playing like a false nine, and he’s physically strong.
“You think he’s weak, you go in, and he already bumps into you. At the Club World Cup I gave him a shove and thought, wow, he’s gotten much stronger from last year to now.
Joao Pedro is the BEST signing of the Todd Boehly era 💵
At £60m, he seems to be a bit of a bargain!
Thiago Silva’s clashes with Joao Pedro
The matchups between Joao Pedro and Thiago Silva evolved from standard Premier League battles into some Brazilian respect. Before Silva’s 2024 departure to Fluminense, the two crossed paths in the English top flight while Pedro was at Watford and later Brighton.
The most iconic clash occurred in July 2025 during the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final at MetLife Stadium. Just six days after signing for Chelsea, Pedro faced his boyhood club and his idol, Silva. In a masterclass of clinical finishing, Pedro scored two goals to eliminate Fluminense.
Not a bad first impression, destroying one of the best centre-backs to ever play the game.
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