The blossoming partnership between Liam Rosenior and Joao Pedro has become important over the past few months for Chelsea, with the Brazilian forward thriving under his regime.
Joao Pedro’s transformation from a frustrated wide player under Enzo Maresca to a prolific number nine under Liam Rosenior is the highlight of the current campaign.
During Maresca’s reign, Pedro was often isolated on the flank, averaging just 1.6 shots and 4.7 touches in the opposition box per game. The Brazilian ended up dropping too deep, stifling his instinctive movement and forcing things too much.
Since Rosenior’s arrival at Chelsea in January, he has discarded the shackles. Pedro’s box touches have surged to 6.2 per game, and he has netted eight goals in 2026 alone, bringing his season tally to 14.
DAVID ORNSTEIN: Liam Rosenior will remain Chelsea coach next season, whether they make the Champions League or not 😬
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Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images
Joao Pedro is enjoying more freedom at Chelsea
Despite some Chelsea supporters becoming frustrated with how things are going under Liam Rosenior, Joao Pedro seems to be enjoying the new-found freedom (as per Chelsea).
“I enjoy a lot my time with Liam [Rosenior] because he gives me the freedom to do what I’m good at.”
“Of course, I’m very happy. I think it’s one of the best seasons of my life. I think the expectations from me were high, so I try to keep my mentality always forward to help my team-mates.
“If I don’t score in one game, Reece [James] and my team-mates come to me and say, ‘Joao, you’ve got to score in the next one!’. I’ll try to keep my stats as high as possible.
“When I joined here, I came here to win trophies and give my best for Chelsea. When I was younger, I was watching the Premier League and my dream was to be one of these players here in England, playing for a big club. Now is my time and I need to enjoy it.”
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