Joao Pedro: Chelsea have found their title-winning striker

Cameron Smith

• 5 Mar 2026 09:30 CST
• 5 min read

News

Chelsea haven’t won the Premier League title since the 2016-17 campaign and that was also the last season in which their starting striker scored more than 15 goals in the English top flight.

Diego Costa exceeded that feat with 20 league goals en route to Premier League glory in Antonio Conte’s debut season and it’s an achievement that no Chelsea centre forward has been able to match since.

Tammy Abraham came extremely close when he netted 15 times on the dot in 2019-20, while Eden Hazard (16 in 2018-19) and Cole Palmer (22 goals in 2022-23) have both hit the landmark from a slightly deeper role, however Costa is the most recent striker to achieve the feat.

Since Costa’s departure, Chelsea have burned through a plethora of centre forwards, all of whom haven’t quite worked out for various reasons. Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Jackson have all failed to fill the void left by Costa, and the centre forward curse has lasted just shy of 10 years at Stamford Bridge.

However, the signing of Joao Pedro, and his recent upturn in form under new boss Liam Rosenior, has changed all of that. The Brazil international bagged his first ever Premier League hat-trick against Aston Villa on Wednesday night and he is now up to 14 English top flight goals for the season - with nine games still to play.

Nothing is certain, but it would be an almighty shock if Pedro fails to score at least two more goals in the Premier League this term and his current form suggests he could even exceed Costa’s tally of 20 from 2016-17.

Joao Pedro is a title-winning striker in waiting

A €63.7 million signing from Brighton & Hove Albion, Pedro already looks like a bargain by today's market and his development in Rosenior’s short stint in charge has been nothing short of sensational.

Of course, the Brazilian hit the ground running with three goals in three games at the Club World Cup, as he fired Chelsea to victory, but his form in front of goal tailed off massively during the final few months of Enzo Maresca’s tenure.

Fitness issues have been cited as a key reason behind Pedro’s dip in form, however he still only mustered four Premier League goals during an 18-game spell from September to early January.

Such a barren run was a major concern and it was an area that Rosenior desperately needed to fix following his appointment in west London.

Since the arrival of the new boss, Pedro has arguably been the best striker in world football. He has scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 12 games across all competitions under Rosenior, and his hat-trick versus Aston Villa was the highlight of a stunning debut campaign to date.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Rosenior said: “He's a top player. I think he's grown in confidence. I think his hold-up play, the energy he puts into the team in terms of his press, his movement, his goal with the left foot is world-class. The finish is magnificent.

“But actually, I'm really, really delighted with the two tap-ins that he got. He was in the right place at the right time. We worked hard with him on that, but he got the hat-trick.”

The last point Rosenior makes is a pertinent one and points to Pedro’s slightly adjusted role under the new boss.

He drops deep to pick up possession far less frequently, he is less involved in build-up and he is closer to goal. In turn, he has become a far bigger goal threat and he is the focal point that Chelsea have desperately been crying out for.

Back in October, former boss Maresca said: “He's going to score goals with us, he's going to give us assists, knowing that Joao Pedro is not a No.9 that is going to score 20 goals each year.”

Since the Italian’s departure, Pedro has looked every bit a 20-goal per season striker and with 17 goals in all competitions, he now only needs three more strikes to accomplish that achievement this term. Talk about making your former boss eat his words.

Fellow summer signing Liam Delap has suffered a similar fate to the other Chelsea strikers mentioned above, but Pedro has dodged the curse and while there are several other areas in need of addressing for Chelsea to compete for Premier League glory next season, they have already found their title-winning centre forward.

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