Joao Pedro has one weakness holding him back from reaching the elite level at Chelsea

For as brilliant as Pedro is, not scoring in Chelsea’s big games has unfortunately become a bit of a recurring theme since his arrival at the club, and that can be linked to how often he gets magnetised to the ball.

How can Xabi Alonso get Estevao Willian into the side? 🤔

The Brazilian has seen very little action under his new manager…

In the 24-year-old’s defence, he did score against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 Club World Cup final and grabbed a brilliant brace against Napoli in the Champions League last season.

However, domestically, his track record against the top teams has not been great. Last term, Tottenham Hotspur were the only team from the traditional big six that Pedro managed to score past.

The above does not mean the Brazilian is totally ineffective in these types of games.

Against the likes of Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester City, Pedro tends to drop deeper more frequently than he usually does as he desperately tries to get involved in play.

It is not the worst tactic. Pedro is good enough to retain the ball before swivelling and finding a runner. He did that a few times at the Emirates on Sunday.

The problem is it takes him away from the goal, which obviously means fewer opportunities to score. Against Arsenal, he had just one shot and an xG of 0.02, according to Sofascore.

Ultimately, Pedro allowing the ball to magnetise him so often in the big games is one weakness that he has.

It is hurting his big-game record, and that is one thing the Brazil international needs to improve if he ever wants to be compared to a forward like Erling Haaland.

Sometimes, then, Pedro just needs to hang off the last man or stay in the penalty area. If the former Brighton & Hove Albion star goes to the ball all the time, he will not improve his record against Arsenal and Chelsea’s other fierce rivals.