Monday 24 August 2015 13:37, UK
We take a detailed look at Pedro's impressive debut in Chelsea's 3-2 win against West Brom...
This breathless, incident-packed encounter was a crash course in Premier League football for Pedro – and Chelsea's new signing passed with flying colours.
John Terry's sending off ensured Pedro will have to share the headlines, but Jose Mourinho could hardly have asked for more from his new signing, who scored one and set up another as he emphatically vindicated his manager's decision to start him just four days after his £21.4m move from Barcelona.
Mourinho and Tony Pulis are two managers who pride themselves on defensive organisation, but chaos took over in the driving rain at the Hawthorns. Five goals, a saved penalty, a red card and a frantic tempo made this rip-roaring Premier League thriller a baptism of fire for Chelsea's new number 17.
Mourinho was questioned about his decision to start Pedro in his pre-match interview with Sky Sports. "It is not a matter of how long he needs to adapt or how long it will take for a team to adapt to him," he said. "He is a super player."
It soon became clear why the Chelsea manager was so confident. Pedro was energetic off the ball and neat and tidy in possession in the opening exchanges, and he immediately looked comfortable on his favoured right flank.
James Morrison's botched penalty in the 14th minute was a major let-off for the visitors, but soon afterwards Pedro provided the kind of spark they have been lacking so far this season. There was a hint of good fortune about his deflected finish, but the goal was entirely of his own making.
Pedro was a full 60 yards from Boaz Myhill's goal when he picked up the ball and exchanged passes with Cesc Fabregas. He showed pace, purpose and impeccable balance as he drove forward, and a one-two with Eden Hazard allowed him to clip his finish off Jonas Olsson and into the bottom corner.
Having appeared so close to joining Manchester United rather than Chelsea, the away fans took great pleasure in belting out a chorus of 'Are you watching Manchester?'. Back on the pitch, Pedro's performance went from strength to strength.
His next decisive contribution arrived just 10 minutes later when he collected Willian's pass following a rapid counter-attack and unleashed a low, diagonal drive which was diverted into the net by Diego Costa.
Morrison pulled a goal back before Cesar Azpilicueta re-established Chelsea's two-goal advantage in a hectic spell just before half-time, and in between those strikes there was another flash of quality from Pedro.
After collecting a pass from Costa on the right, he skilfully skipped over OIsson's challenge, cut inside Chris Brunt and provided a perfect lay-off for Willian, who fired wastefully wide. Pedro's brilliant build up deserved better.
He is dynamite, absolutely brilliant.
"That first 45 minutes was as good as you could wish to see," said Jamie Redknapp in the Sky Sports studio. "Man Utd fans must be sitting at home thinking, 'Why have we not signed this player?'. He is dynamite, absolutely brilliant."
Terry's sending off and Morrison's second goal early in the second half gave Chelsea plenty of work to do to grind out the victory, and it also allowed Pedro to showcase the different sides of his game.
"He was sensational today, but not just with the ball, without it," added Redknapp. Indeed, as well as providing a devastating outlet going forward, Pedro embraced his defensive duties in a manner that will have delighted Mourinho.
Pedro worked tirelessly. Premier League tracking data shows he made 60 high-intensity sprints, more than any other player on the pitch, and no Chelsea player made more than his two tackles.
But as well as the graft, Pedro provided Chelsea's best attacking moments of the second half. An accurate far-post cross was half-volleyed narrowly wide by Costa in the 63rd minute, and he also set up substitute Radamel Falcao for a gilt-edged chance shortly before his substitution six minutes from time.
After the game, Fabregas presented Pedro with his man-of-the-match award. "I knew straight away that he would make an impact," he told Sky Sports. "It is something that we don't have in our team, this pacey player that goes behind defenders, that goes one against one. He goes behind defences and stretches them, while Willian and Eden (prefer) the ball to their feet."
Pedro's pace and movement added a deadly new dimension to Chelsea's attack, and an 88 per cent pass completion rate showed his efficiency in possession. It all amounted to a near-perfect debut. "The mentality of this guy is fantastic," added Fabregas. "I'm very happy for him."
Redknapp summed it up. "£21m looks like an absolute bargain," he said. "He was sensational today. He set the tempo. He was the spark. He was the player in that Chelsea team who you felt made a real difference. It looks like an inspired piece of business."
Chelsea still have concerns in defence and Terry's impending suspension leaves Mourinho with plenty to ponder, but the manager can take great heart from his newest addition. Pedro already looks like a perfect fit.
