Joao Pedro has enjoyed a brilliant start to life under Enzo Maresca, scoring in all but two of his eight appearances for Chelsea.
The Blues have struggled to get it right with their strikers in the past few transfer windows. Now, it looks like Joao Pedro is making the fans forget all of his predecessors, with the Brazilian forward having an amazing start to his Chelsea career.
The 23-year-old made his debut in the Fifa Club World Cup and since then has already picked up seven goals and two assists in just nine games, including friendlies.
Dabble sign-up offer: Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Not signed up to Dabble yet? Here's how to claim the Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets welcome offer:
- Sign up to Dabble through this link
- Register your account with accurate personal details
- Place your first bet of £10 or more
- Receive your £10 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted
- Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
In addition, the only times in which he failed to score or assist were in his debut against Palmeiras and on opening day of the 2025-26 Premier League vs. Crystal Palace.
Interestingly enough, out of all the strikers they’ve signed in recent years, he’s the one with the fewest traits of a true number nine. Enzo Maresca seems to understand that and it’s one of the main reasons why the former Brighton and Hove Albion man has worked out so well in the Italian manager’s system.
Footballing origins
To understand the complexity of Joao Pedro’s style, we must go all the way back to 2019. After coming through the ranks at Fluminense, he made his professional debut at just 17 years of age.
In his second game for the club, he scored in a derby against fierce rivals Flamengo just minutes after entering the game as a second half substitute.
Fluminense were struggling at the time and head coach Fernando Diniz limited his minutes due to his young age, trying to ease the pressure on him initially. However, it quickly became clear that he could be their salvation. That led to him earning more opportunities – and making the most of them.
Diniz then turned to him more often as he earned a place among the starters for most of the rest of his tenure. But it’s important to name the manager, since his approach is very anti-Guardiola in terms of attacking football – which became famous in 2023 when the Tricolor won the Copa Libertadores and faced Manchester City in what is now called the Intercontinental Cup.
Instead of maintaining structure, he prefers chaos and disorder. Players have freedom of movement and dictate the terms, improvising very often. As a consequence, the then-teenager played as a striker, second striker, left and right attacking midfielder – sometimes performing multiple roles in the same match.
These are Joao Pedro’s footballing origins. And despite not sharing this school of thought, Enzo Maresca seems to understand that and adapts his own style to fit the Brazilian forward in his system. Of course, Joao Pedro meets him halfway – now focusing most of touches down the middle, for instance. But it’s a nice mix that has been working wonders so far.
Not really a striker
Those who have followed Joao Pedro’s career probably already know that he’s not a true number nine. He can play like one, but it’s not really his thing.
His physical frame also allows him to act as a hub for long balls and hold-up play. That’s actually a part of his game that Maresca has used quite a bit so far. The Brazilian forward is averaging 5.4 aerial duels per 90 minutes for Chelsea. That’s his most since the 2021-22 season for Watford under Xisco Munoz, Claudio Ranieri and then Roy Hodgson (7.2 across all competitions).
Still, his best traits are his technical ones. The more he participates actively in the build-up, the better it usually is for his teams. He benefits a lot from having a true striker ahead of him, whether that’s Liam Delap at Chelsea, Danny Welbeck at Brighton or Keinan Davis at Watford in his Championship days.
Out of all centre-forwards and second strikers in the 2025-26 Premier League, Joao Pedro ranks first in touches (117). The closest player is Burnley’s Lyle Foster with 96.
His club form may not translate to the national team, but Chelsea fans shouldn’t worry. Brazil severely lack in strikers, and players who need more freedom up front like Joao Pedro and Matheus Cunha have to act as number nines, even if they’re not.
The important thing is that Enzo Maresca has shown flexibility incorporating the new No.20 into his system. And it has paid off incredibly well so far.
There is also a world in which things get even better when he and Cole Palmer start sharing the pitch more often. That only happened in the Fifa Club World Cup and it’s safe to say it looked rather promising, with the Blues going on to win it all thrashing PSG in the final.