The last time Fulham boss Marco Silva and Chelsea striker Joao Pedro met, there was a bit of controversy.
Fulham were set to earn a point from their Premier League encounter with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
However, Pedro won a penalty in the 98th minute, which the Brazilian managed to dispatch.
With Cole Palmer a doubt, Pedro could start against Fulham in the No.10 position when Silva’s side travel to Stamford Bridge this Saturday.
Fulham manager Marco Silva looks on during the Premier League match against Brighton.
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Marco Silva dubbed Joao Pedro a ‘clever striker’ after winning penalty against Fulham
Silva would have been extremely frustrated with how his Fulham team lost that game at the Amex and referee Samuel Barrott’s decision.
However, the Portuguese acknowledged that Pedro was just extremely “clever” with his play and admitted that he would have asked for a penalty if it had been a Fulham player who had gone down.
“I’m not complaining,” Silva was quoted as saying by The Argus in March. “A clever striker felt contact and won the penalty. We expect this type of striker to do his job. If it was my side I’d ask for a penalty.”
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Pedro is a player whom Fulham will have to be wary of this weekend, but he is not the only one.
Enzo Maresca is blessed with quality attacking options, including Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian. Alongside Pedro, both men were able to make an impact in Chelsea‘s 5-1 win against West Ham United last Friday.
Neto joined Pedro on the scoresheet at the London Stadium, while Estevao was able to provide an assist. After the game, Marc Cucurella commented on Estevao’s professionalism, describing him as “very mature” despite still being just 18 years of age.
Joao Pedro celebrates during Chelsea v AC Milan - Pre-Season Friendly
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Joao Pedro’s penalty record
If Palmer does miss the Fulham match, Pedro could find himself on penalty duty should Maresca’s men win a spot-kick.
Like Palmer, the Brazil international is quite clinical from the spot. According to Transfermarkt, Pedro has taken 10 penalties in the Premier League and only missed one.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, that is very good to know. With the amount of firepower that Chelsea have, though, they should not need a Pedro penalty at home to beat their west London rivals.