Chelsea beat Man Utd to sign Pedro but he's struggling in the Premier League
Pedro's move to Chelsea was trumpeted as one of the signings of the summer when they beat Manchester United to his signature, but is the former Barcelona winger in danger of going the same way as Juan Cuadrado and Mohamed Salah?
Just 20 minutes had passed at the Hawthorns in August when Pedro charged through West Brom's midfield, played a one-two with Eden Hazard and clipped a deflected finish inside Boaz Myhill's near post. It was the beginning of a perfect Chelsea debut for the Spaniard, and the chant from the gleeful travelling fans was clear: "Are you watching Manchester?"
A few days earlier, Pedro appeared to be on his way to Old Trafford when Chelsea tabled a £21.4m offer from out of nowhere. After a charm offensive from Jose Mourinho and Cesc Fabregas, the Barcelona winger signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge. "I knew I would feel at home here," he said. "That was one of the main reasons why I decided to join."
Despite the obvious differences between Barcelona and Mourinho's Chelsea, the early evidence suggested Pedro was a good fit. Here was a team player with the work ethic to satisfy his new manager, the high-tempo playing style to adapt to the Premier League, and the quality to create and convert scoring chances.
As well as auguring well for Chelsea, Pedro's dazzling debut raised questions of United, whose glaring lack of firepower was exposed in a goalless draw at home to Newcastle that weekend. How had they let Pedro slip through their fingers? For a team so obviously lacking in pace and dynamism in the final third, it was certainly a valid question.
Pedro celebrates after scoring on his Chelsea debut against West Brom
And yet, while United's attacking struggles have continued throughout the season, few supporters are lamenting Pedro's move to Chelsea now.
The Spaniard has just two goals and two assists in 24 appearances since that afternoon at the Hawthorns, and he is not even expected to start against the Red Devils on Super Sunday having missed out altogether against Watford.
Pedro has only scored two goals in 23 appearances since joining Chelsea
After scoring in a 3-1 win over Sunderland in December,Pedro was forced to dismiss suggestions he wanted to leave Chelsea and insisted he was excited about working with Guus Hiddink. "He spoke with me after the Sunderland game for a minute in Spanish and it felt good," he told theEvening Standard. "For me it was perfect. He was telling me is happy here and with the team."
That victory over the Black Cats was Chelsea's first game since Hiddink was appointed and Pedro's goalscoring performance hinted at better things to come under the new manager. But it was another false dawn, with the 28-year-old failing to add a single goal or assist in seven appearances since then despite Chelsea's improved form.
Mohamed Salah was sold to Roma after struggling to make an impact at Chelsea
His plight feels worryingly familiar for Chelsea and he will need no reminding that, over the last 18 months, highly-rated widemen Mohamed Salah, Andre Schurrle, Juan Cuadrado and Kevin De Bruyne have been deemed surplus to requirements and discarded by the Blues.
So what's gone wrong? In truth, Pedro is not entirely to blame. The tumultuous final months of Mourinho's tenure were hardly an easy environment in which to settle, and for a winner of 11 major trophies in seven glorious seasons at Barcelona, the adversity he encountered at Chelsea was a completely new experience.
Pedro won 11 major trophies at Barcelona, including five La Liga titles
"It's hard," he told reporters in October. "Everything is very different to the football I'm used to. I think there are a lot of differences, very physical football, very strong. All the games are competitive and very balanced."
There are style questions, too. Pedro is at his most effective when running in behind the opposition's defence and creating space for his team-mates, but he hasn't had much of a chance to play to his strengths at Chelsea. For the most part, the Blues have been unable to replicate the thrilling attacking football that defined the first half of last season's title-winning campaign, and the winger has had to come deeper for the ball than at Barcelona.
His statistics for tackles and interceptions over the last two seasons highlight his increased defensive responsibility at Chelsea, and Pedro's average position in their 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in December was in fact inside his own half and central.
Pedro's average position in Chelsea's 0-0 draw against Man Utd at Old Trafford
It's a far cry from playing off the last man and hugging the touchline as he did in Spain, and it has had a knock-on effect on his confidence. Only seven of his 23 shots on goal in the Premier League have hit the target, giving him a far lower accuracy rate than Chelsea's other wide players.
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