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Chelsea forward Joao Pedro opened up on his reaction to teammate Liam Delap's brace in the Blues' 4-1 win in a pre-season friendly against AC Milan (August 10). The Brazilian claimed that he is 'very happy' for the Englishman, asserting that an attack firing on all cylinders would be beneficial for Enzo Maresca's side.
In June 2025, Delap moved to Stamford Bridge from recently-relegated Ipswich Town for a reported £30 million fee. Almost one month later, Pedro signed for the Blues from Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported £60 million (including add-ons).
Although Delap started over Pedro against Bayer Leverkusen last week (August 8), he was unable to make a significant impact. The latter, however, continued his hot streak, coming off the bench and netting in the 90th minute to cap off a comfortable 2-0 win.
Against Milan, the Brazilian forward was given the starting spot. He immediately vindicated the decision, heading a pin-point cross from Pedro Neto into the back of the net in the eighth minute to extend his side's lead to 2-0.
Coming on as a 60th-minute replacement for Pedro, Delap righted the wrongs of his under-par performance against Leverkusen. He scored from the spot just seven minutes after being substituted on (67') and doubled up in the 90th minute to round off a 4-1 victory.
Although many believe the pair will compete for the starting striker role, Pedro had nothing but praise for the 22-year-old English forward. Speaking to Channel 5 after the full-time whistle, the 23-year-old said (via The Chelsea Chronicle):
"I don't want to say competition, I think it is very good for Chelsea to have both strikers at a good level. In the last game, he did not score. Today, he scored two goals. I am very happy for him."
I am happy for him! João Pedro embracing competition with Delap 💙
Chelsea have a plethora of star names in attack, with a balanced mixture of experience and youth. Maresca will be banking on the likes of Pedro, Delap, Neto and Cole Palmer, among others, as he looks to build on a successful debut season at the club.
"Very happy with both of them" - Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca makes claim about Joao Pedro and Liam Delap
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca claimed that he was overjoyed with the performances of star striker duo Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.
The Italian tactician won the UEFA Europa Conference League and the newly-expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in his debut season at Stamford Bridge. With the addition of stars like Pedro, Delap, Jamie Gittens and Estevao, among others, the Blues are looking for greater success in Maresca's second year at the club.
Speaking to the club website after his side thwarted AC Milan 4-1 in their final pre-season friendly ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, Maresca praised Pedro and Delap. The 45-year-old said:
"They are both our strikers, we need them scoring goals during the season, and we are very happy with both of them... They have to be without pressure or stress, and they will score goals for sure and miss goals for sure. But at the end, they are going to help us."
Up next, Chelsea will be seen in action in the first game of their 2025-26 Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on Sunday (August 17).
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Aaryan Nagraj
Aaryan has been covering European football at Sportskeeda since the start of 2024. He is pursuing an integrated M.Sc. degree in Chemistry at NIT Rourkela, and tends to rely on his proclivity for numbers and statistics for his content, making the most of websites like Transfermarkt and FotMob. He is also a district level basketball and table tennis player.
A Borussia Dortmund fan, Aaryan had his first tryst with football during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite his young mind being influenced by Lionel Messi's exploits, his favorite World Cup moment is Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning free-kick against Spain from the 2018 version. He strongly believes that Jude Bellingham and Florian Wirtz can replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their respective potentials.
Aaryan, who has been on commentary panels for football and cricket tournaments at his university, is a huge admirer of Achraf Hakimi for the Moroccan's loan stint in Dortmund between 2018 and 2020. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who impressed him with his excellent tactical nous and benignant man-management skills.
When he is not scouring the internet for unique statistics, Aaryan follows the Indian Super League, the A-League, and the Saudi Pro League among others. He is an avid quizzer and debater, and a trained classical and western musician who likes to rock out for his college band, Euphony, as lead vocalist and guitarist.
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