Pedro ready to play for and against his two best coaches
By George Perry
Pedro will have played for both managers when Chelsea face Manchester City on Saturday. Antonio Conte’s right-wing won 14 trophies with Pep Guardiola at FC Barcelona.
Pedro won everything there is to win while part of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. So they did it all again. Pedro flourished under Guardiola, and the two will square off for the first time in the Premier League.
Given his years of study with Guardiola, Pedro knows the challenge that awaits the Blues at the Etihad. He knows that the managers are not only two of the most tactically astute and demanding in the game, but they have both significantly influenced his career.
"Antonio is a good coach, a strong guy with good ideas of football with a strong character. He has a good mentality and has very good ideas… Of course Pep is a very good coach also. He was very important in my career. I want to see him again on Saturday but this will be a difficult game for us. – Evening Standard"
Pedro is on track to have one of the best seasons of his career. Chelsea’s high-pressing 3-4-3 formation creates the sort of space he needs to go on energetic – sometimes frenetic – runs that play well against Eden Hazard on the opposite flank. The Spanish winger already has five assists, well on his way to breaking his career-high of eight in 2013/14.
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He is also adding defensive elements to his game. His speed allows him to get back alongside N’Golo Kante to disrupt counter-attacks and dispossess the opposition’s midfielders.
The new dimensions to his game and the revival of his offensive touch stem directly from Antonio Conte. Pedro suffered a steep drop in form his first year with Chelsea. Like some of his teammates, he was linked with a return back to Spain’s sunnier climates and more productive clubs.
His willingness to stick around paid off, and he is firmly loyal to the Blues and Conte. Pedro came to his manager’s defense the last time there was a dust-up between two of his former bosses. After Jose Mourinho “privately” criticized Conte’s touchline celebrations, Pedro spoke to Conte’s sportsmanship.
"[Conte] was only cheering on the fans because we had played a great game and he wanted the supporters to sing in order to help us finish the game in the best possible way.I don’t know if Mou [Mourinho] considered it a lack of respect or a provocation but that was not Conte’s intention. – ESPN FC"
Related Story: Pedro's goal complemented strong defensive performance
Antonio Conte will most likely not have a fourth goal to celebrate on Saturday given how tightly contested this fixture will be. If Pedro’s usual hummingbird-drunk-on-Carabao routine keeps up the offensive output, he’ll fuel his current coach’s #passion at the expense of his former mentor.