{"id":785,"date":"2026-08-09T17:50:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T17:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=785"},"modified":"2026-08-09T17:50:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T17:50:38","slug":"joao-pedro-has-surpassed-two-strikers-gary-neville-claimed-were-better-than-chelsea-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=785","title":{"rendered":"Joao Pedro has surpassed two strikers Gary Neville claimed were better than Chelsea man"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Joao Pedro has been in scintillating<\/strong> form for Chelsea during their pre-season tour.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pedro<\/a> scored for Chelsea<\/a> once again on Saturday, grabbing a brace in their 3-0 win against AC Milan.<\/p>\n

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The centre-forward failed to score in the defeats to Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur, but he did bag a hat-trick in the 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.<\/p>\n

Yes, these have all been friendlies, but at this point you would have to consider Pedro one of the Premier League\u2019s<\/a> very top strikers.<\/p>\n

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Josh Acheampong and Joao Pedro were brilliant vs AC Milan!<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Did anyone else catch your eye?<\/p>\n

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Joao Pedro has surpassed Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike<\/h2>\n

In the past, Manchester United legend Gary Neville<\/a> has claimed that Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak<\/a> and Hugo Ekitike<\/a> are on another level to Pedro.<\/p>\n

As Neville discussed Chelsea signing Pedro a year ago<\/a>, he said: \u201cI have to say, they [Chelsea] look well short for me, still, up front. For all the money that they\u2019ve spent, and I know they\u2019ve got good players, he\u2019s got [Liam] Delap and Joao Pedro, who\u2019s a good player. But they\u2019re still not at that level, where you think that they\u2019re nothing like Haaland, or Isak or even Ekitike for that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haaland, he has a point. Right now, bar Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, there is probably not another forward in world football who can go toe to toe with the Manchester City star.<\/p>\n

However, a season later, few would agree with Neville\u2019s take on Isak and Ekitike. Chelsea fans would not anyway.<\/p>\n

Ekitike was never miles ahead of Pedro, and while there may have been a gap between the Brazilian and Isak, that is definitely gone now. Pedro is undoubtedly superior.<\/p>\n

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Isak had injury problems last term, scoring just three goals in 14 Premier League appearances. Ekitike fared better, netting 11 times in 28 outings.<\/p>\n

It was Pedro, though, who scored the most number of goals after finding the back of the net on 15 occasions, although he did play more games than both players.<\/p>\n

As well as that, his hold-up and link-up play were better and are probably what set the former Brighton & Hove Albion man apart from most other No.9s in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

Pedro is exceptional at protecting the ball and winning fouls, while he can also drop deep and take players with him, allowing his teammates to make darting runs in behind.<\/p>\n

At 24, Pedro already looks like the complete centre-forward. He has surpassed Isak and Ekitike but needs more prolific seasons before he can enter any kind of conversation involving Haaland.<\/p>\n

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