Why Chelsea must start Pedro ahead of Willian more often
Bournemouth travelled to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea last weekend and the initial few minutes did not seem encouraging for the Blues. In fact, the visitors held the home side for more than an hour and had their own chances to take the lead in the first half.
Maurizio Sarri had to do something to maintain his club’s perfect start and he sent Pedro Rodriguez in place of Willian. And barely five minutes later, Pedro scored the coveted opening goal, changing the game on its head as Chelsea went on to win 2-0.
It was a masterstroke from Sarri as his super-sub changed the game for him. But does Pedro deserve to be a super sub? On the basis of current form, he certainly doesn’t. In the season so far, he has played four matches and scored 3 goals. But it’s not just the goals that should be the criteria here.
Pedro, who joined Chelsea for a fee of £21million, only seems to be getting better with every passing game. And in contrast, Willian, who joined the Blues for a fee of £30million, has blown hot and cold so far.
Sarri often deploys a 4-3-3 formation at Chelsea with Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic in the midfield. Meanwhile, the likes of Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard play as the striker and left-winger respectively. This has left the right-wing spot up for grabs and Willian and Pedro are the two contenders for it. The Spaniard, apart from his 4 goals, has adapted to life under Sarri better. He has made 6 key passes, completed 7 dribbles and has had 11 shots on the goal.
Along with his attacking attributes, the former Barcelona man is also the one who corresponds to his manager’s tactical demands. Sarri’s teams, over the years, are known for pressing high which forces the opponents into making mistakes. Pedro’s relentless running enables him to press the opposition full-backs and even track them back to his own defensive third. In the 265 minutes of football this season, he has covered the highest ground among all Chelsea attackers, successfully completing 3 tackles, 4 interceptions and 3 clearances.
Another big attribute of the 2010 World Cup winner is that he is two-footed. He has scored once already with his left foot this season and this makes it tough for the full-backs to defend against him. He always has an option to either cut inside and take a shot or go on the outside and deliver a cross.
There were signs of Pedro becoming an unsung hero from pre-season itself. With the League Cup and Europa League coming up, Sarri must utilize his squad wisely. The Thursday-Sunday schedule and the trips to far-off clubs in Europe will have its toll on the players. But that shouldn’t hamper him from playing his best XI in the league and Pedro Rodriguez, for now, belongs there.
