Chelsea FC at West Bromwich Albion: Post-Match Reflections
Pedro Excelencia!
A goal, an assist, 3 clear-cut chances created, first win of the season… there are few better ways to begin your journey at a new club! I had earlier written an article about why Chelsea do not need Pedro, but it feels really good to admit that I may have got it all wrong (although things could still go downhill from here).
Now it would be easy to dwell on how impressive he was on the pitch, but I would leave that to others to talk about (there will definitely be a lot written about how well he performed). Instead I would prefer to touch on the key area where he was able to improve the team.
Eden Hazard has struggled to recreate his performances from last season, not due to any real fault of his, but mainly because of the attention he has been receiving from opposing players.
Unfortunately, no other player has been able to step up offensively to help take away some of the pressure he has had to deal with (Oscar has struggled with fitness issues, Willian has been all work and no end product, and Cuadrado…), that is until Pedro came into play! The first goal was pure Hazard brilliance, receiving a pass from Pedro and drawing 3 players to himself before releasing it back to Pedro to score.
The second came after Hazard drew the attention of 2 players, allowing Pedro’s low cross to go across goal to an unmarked Costa at the far post. It seems that Chelsea may have finally found a player that can help take away the pressure from Hazard.
Next: Willian and Ivanovic