The bold summer transfer decision that could ruin Chelsea's season
It’s widely believed that Moises Caicedo is Chelsea’s most important player, and for very good reason. The Ecuador star is by far the club’s best central midfielder and his all-round ability in the middle of the park has often been vital to the Blues’ success since his arrival from Brighton & Hove Albion.
However, Joao Pedro now looks like a worthy challenger for that title.
The Brazil striker has averaged a goal contribution every 119 minutes during his Chelsea career to date, and he knits together their attack in a way that trumps even Cole Palmer.
Chelsea rejected the advances of Arsenal and Barcelona over the summer, with Pedro eventually signing a lucrative new contract in August, and he looks set to retain his place as their first-choice centre forward for many years to come.
However, he missed the 3-0 defeat to Brentford in September due to a knee injury and he was once again a surprise absentee versus Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.
When asked for the reason behind Pedro’s exclusion from the matchday squad against Spurs, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso told reporters: “He felt something yesterday in training. At the moment, he has some fluid [around the injury], so we have to do some tests to see how big the injury is. For sure, it’s a disappointment, but we need to carry on.”
Pedro’s absence was sorely felt at Stamford Bridge, with Geovany Quenda struggling on the left and Morgan Rogers ineffective through the middle, and the Blues will be desperate for the Brazilian to return to action soon.
Chelsea’s win rate in the Premier League without Pedro this season stands at 0% - thanks to two losses in two matches - while their record is 66.67% when the 25-year-old is involved.
Emmanuel Emegha is still yet to make his debut following his arrival from Strasbourg, Danny Welbeck clearly isn’t fully trusted by Alonso, while Nicolas Jackson was sold to Aston Villa for €55.5 million.
The Nicolas Jackson error
At the time of Jackson’s move to Aston Villa, it looked like a smart move from Chelsea's perspective.
He was evidently willing to leave the club, Pedro was the clear number one option, and Alonso had both Emegha and Welbeck as back-up options. However, if Pedro’s absence is a prolonged one, then the decision to sell Jackson will soon look very, very foolish.
The Senegal striker divided opinion at Chelsea, but he was always an extremely valuable player for the Blues, despite his often wayward finishing.
His relationship with the aforementioned Palmer was excellent, his presence ensured Chelsea always carried immense threat on the counter-attack, his link-up play was excellent, and he often battled well against opposition defenders.
And, since his move to Aston Villa, he has refined his finishing in front of goal.
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Jackson has the full backing of Villa boss Unai Emery, who managed him at Villarreal, and his confidence is brimming. Thanks to a brace against Manchester City on Saturday, Jackson now has seven goals in just 11 games since his Chelsea exit, and he is a key reason why Villa have registered six wins and one draw in their last seven games across all competitions.
Pedro remains one of the best strikers in world football, but the drop-off to Chelsea’s reserve options is quickly becoming a major concern, and Jackson’s form for Aston Villa will therefore be hugely frustrating for the Blues hierarchy.
€55.5m was a decent transfer fee, but it will mean very little if Chelsea continue to lack potency in attack without Pedro.
