Pedro Neto isn’t exactly a fan favourite at Chelsea – but is certainly at the top of the list when it comes to in-game impact.
The Portuguese winger is not unanimous among Blues fans and they often ask for his removal from starting lineups.
Enzo Maresca does have plenty of wingers to choose from, with the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Tyrique George offering different things. But the Italian manager seems to always go back around to Neto.
Why does Enzo Maresca see Pedro Neto as his main winger for Chelsea?
Impactful numbers
Let’s start with the obvious, which is also the most important part of football: Pedro Neto delivers goals and assists.
There are points to be made about him sometimes switching off during games and making questionable decisions. But in terms of actual impact on the score, no Chelsea player has been doing it quite like him this season.
Neto has scored six goals and provided three assists across all competitions in 2025-26 so far. His tally of nine goal involvements ranks 11th overall among players from English sides, alongside the likes of Mo Salah, Bukayo Saka and Dominik Szoboszlai.
He also leads the Blues in both goals (5) and assists (3) in the Premier League. Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle) and Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) are the others to share this feat.
In addition to that, Neto boasts a Squawka Score of 69%, the sixth highest percentage among attacking-midfielders and wingers. That’s the same as Phil Foden, Saka and Garnacho.
Recent form
Pedro Neto has also been in fine form as of late. He started the season poorly, but picked it up after the October international break.
He has recorded eight of his nine goal involvements in the most recent stretch of 13 games, as opposed to just one in the previous 10.
It has also come while spending most of his time on the right wing. Enzo Maresca shifted him around between the left and right sides. The right has always suited him more and the numbers this season back this theory up.
Champions League woes
While Neto has been solid in the Premier League, he has struggled in the Champions League. The 25-year-old has started in all four of the games he’s played in, missing out on just two (Ajax and Qarabag).
It does speak to how Maresca sees him, as the games he didn’t play were the ones against the weakes opponents so far. But he also failed to leave his mark against Bayern Munich, Benfica, Barcelona and Atalanta.
All his averages drop in the UCL compared to the Premier League and Carabao Cup.
| Stats (per90) | Premier League & Carabao Cup | Champions League |
|---|---|---|
| Goals/assists | 0.62 | 0 |
| Chances created | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| Shots | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| xG performance | +3.0 | -1.3 |
But it’s important to note that this is his first ever season playing in the Champions League. And he did have great performances in the other international tournaments he has played for Chelsea.
Granted, the Conference League and Club World Cup have nowhere near the same level of challenges as the UCL. But those are good indicatives, especially the CWC with how he did against Benfica and his defensive contributions in the final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Having Pedro Neto as your best winger is not the ideal option if you want to contend for big titles. But he is certainly more helpful and better than a lot of people make it seem.