Joao Pedro: Chelsea's Rising Star in Haaland's League
Xabi Alonso did not flinch. Asked if Joao Pedro belongs in the same bracket as Erling Haaland, the Chelsea head coach simply said: yes.
The 24-year-old Brazilian has opened the new Premier League season at full tilt: two goals, two assists in his first three games, and on Friday he was named the division’s Player of the Month. It is the first time he has claimed the award, edging out team-mate Cole Palmer, who took the prize back in September 2024.
For Alonso, this is no early-season flash.
Haaland company
Haaland is the benchmark. The Manchester City striker collected last season’s Golden Boot with 27 league goals and has terrorised defences since arriving in England. Yet Alonso was adamant Joao Pedro belongs in that rarefied group.
“If you count how many top strikers we have in the Premier League, I'm sure that Joao [Pedro] is there, Haaland for sure is there. So I would rate him that way,” he said.
The numbers support the confidence. Joao Pedro became Chelsea’s first striker since Diego Costa to hit 20 goals in a single season during his debut campaign. Since joining last summer, he has scored 25 times and added 11 assists in 57 appearances.
Haaland’s own last 57 outings for City show 42 goals and nine assists. The Norwegian remains a pure finisher, a penalty-box phenomenon. Joao Pedro, though, brings something different.
A Benzema echo
Alonso knows that type of forward. He shared a dressing room with Karim Benzema 195 times at Real Madrid, watching the Frenchman evolve into a Ballon d’Or winner and one of the most complete strikers of his generation.
“In many things he reminds me of Benzema, because he is good in the box, he is good out of the box, he is good coming to his left side, he is good with the head, he is very complete, he is intelligent,” Alonso said.
That versatility has marked Joao Pedro’s career. He has operated as a midfielder, a No 10 and a winger, drifting into pockets of space, linking play and still arriving in the area with menace. Haaland specialises in goals; Joao Pedro spreads his influence across the pitch.
“So yes, he is still young, still things to develop, but many, many absolutely outstanding qualities that he has,” Alonso added.
Benzema’s own legacy is vast: 523 goals in 994 appearances for France, Lyon, Real Madrid and Saudi Arabian sides Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal. To even be mentioned in the same breath is a measure of the level Alonso believes Joao Pedro can reach.
Chelsea’s No 9 for the long haul
Chelsea’s hierarchy clearly share that belief. Last month Joao Pedro signed a new deal at Stamford Bridge, tying him to the club until 2034. He was also handed the iconic No 9 shirt at the start of the season, a jersey that has weighed heavily on many of his predecessors.
So far, he is carrying it with ease.
The Brazilian’s blend of goals, creativity and work-rate has turned him into the focal point of Alonso’s attack, a modern centre-forward asked to do far more than simply finish moves.
Brazil pain, fresh drive
His rise has not been without setbacks. Joao Pedro was a surprise omission from Brazil’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, a decision taken by national team coach Carlo Ancelotti – the same man who once managed Alonso at Real Madrid.
The snub hurt. Alonso did not deny that.
“It was painful for him, but that is in the past. We are now focused on what he is doing well and what he can do better,” the Chelsea boss said.
Any doubts over his response have been answered. Joao Pedro has since been recalled for Brazil’s September fixtures against New Zealand and India, his club form impossible to ignore.
“He had enough motivation. He already had enough within him, so I didn't need to go there,” Alonso insisted. “He has been outstanding. Not just in football terms, but in his personality, his maturity and his desire. He has a very clear goal this season, which is to have a great campaign and score a lot of goals.”
A new contract, the No 9 shirt, comparisons to Haaland and echoes of Benzema. Joao Pedro’s trajectory is clear. The only question now is how far, and how fast, he can climb.
