Joao Pedro Makes History as Chelsea Begin Season With Fulham Win
Joao Pedro made a remarkable start as Chelsea’s new number nine, scoring just 31 seconds into the Blues’ Premier League opener against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday. The Brazilian forward was played through by Cole Palmer before producing a fine chip over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno to put Chelsea ahead. The early goal gave new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso a perfect start and also raised hopes that Pedro could finally end the club’s long-running struggles with the number nine shirt. The jersey has previously been worn by several high-profile forwards, including Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao, Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, many of whom struggled to deliver consistently in the role. Pedro’s strike also set a new record for the fastest goal scored on the opening matchday of a Premier League season. The forward recently signed a new eight-year contract with Chelsea and immediately gave supporters reason to believe he could have a different impact in the number nine shirt. Chelsea went on to secure a 3-2 victory, with Morgan Rogers and Palmer also getting on the scoresheet, while Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia scored for Fulham. For Pedro, however, the biggest significance of the night was his immediate impact in a shirt that has carried considerable pressure at Stamford Bridge, as he appeared to put Chelsea’s long-standing No.9 struggles behind him from the very first minute.
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