Joao Pedro has undoubtedly been one of the signings of the season. But he’s taken his game to another level under Liam Rosenior.
The Brazilian’s role under the new Chelsea boss has changed slightly, and he’s seen his output go through the roof. His role under Enzo Maresca varied, sometimes playing as a No.10 or through the centre of attack in the striker position. But he’s now developing into a serious number nine.
Joao Pedro has more goals and assists combined than any other player since the turn of the year, around the time when Rosenior arrived through the door. So both managers do deserve credit for his improved form in 2026.
Joao Pedro’s excellent form
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A change in role
Under Rosenior, Joao Pedro has been tasked with sticking to more of a central role, rather than drifting into wider areas or dropping deeper. This has allowed him to become more of a threat in the final third, getting closer to the opposition goal and between the width of the penalty box.
Joao Pedro is much more involved in more dangerous positions under Rosenior. His touches and shots inside the box per 90 minutes have increased dramatically. The heatmap above shows that Joao Pedro is primarily focused on being in more central, attacking areas, rather than being given more freedom to roam.
A key issue for Chelsea previously was having too many players who wanted to drop deep to get on the ball and roam around. Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Joao Pedro. Fitting all three into the same side is difficult as it is. But making them all effective is an even tougher task.
Having a player attempting 3.6 shots per 90 inside the penalty area is a serious recipe for success. Even an average finisher is going to find goals eventually. And it helps that Joao Pedro is being clinical in front of goal, outperforming his Expected Goals at the moment.
The data tells you everything
When you take a deeper dive into the data, it’s easy to see why Joao Pedro’s output has reached new levels. The Brazilian is having significantly more touches inside the penalty area, where he can be more threatening. But he’s actually having fewer touches per game.
Rosenior doesn’t want Joao Pedro receiving the ball from his own back four. He doesn’t want Joao Pedro drifting into wide areas and vacating central space. He wants Joao Pedro playing as a centre-forward, with the key word being ‘centre’.
The Brazilian international is now averaging 2.16 shots from the centre of the box per game, increasing from 0.83. He’s also attempted fewer final third passes, crosses, and even take-ons, showing that he’s being asked to be involved less. But this leads to him being involved more in the correct areas.
Joao Pedro is proving himself to be a well-rounded striker, when there were previously question marks about what his best position was. Rosenior has identified where he can best be utilised and stuck with it, and Chelsea are reaping the rewards. In eight starts for Chelsea under Rosenior, Joao Pedro has provided 10 goals and assists. He only managed nine goals and assists from 17 starts under Maresca.
The sky’s the limit
It’s easy to forget that Joao Pedro is only 24 years old. And he might not even be at his full potential. Rosenior has only been at Stamford Bridge since early January, but Joao Pedro has undoubtedly been one of the best players in the league since then.
Sometimes, versatility is a trait used to praise a player, and rightly so. But it can also lead to players struggling to nail down a position, as they are regularly switching roles.
With Joao Pedro, it was always difficult to understand where his best role was. But Rosenior is clearly getting the best out of him. A full season under the new Chelsea manager could see Joao Pedro hit levels we’ve never seen from him before.
Some of Chelsea’s recruitment has been heavily criticised in recent years, but the signing of Joao Pedro is already proving to be a hit. If Rosenior can continue utilising Joao Pedro in the same way and getting similar results, then we could have a rival for Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot next season. Especially considering he’s already outperforming the Norwegian in terms of goals in 2026.
Whether this kind of chance creation for Joao Pedro is sustainable remains to be seen. But it’s safe to say Rosenior has worked him out. The Chelsea boss will undoubtedly give the credit to the Brazilian forward for his upturn in form. But there’s no doubt that it’s a joint effort, with the system allowing him to flourish to a level we haven’t seen before.