Brazilian striker Joao Pedro seems to have made an instant statement following his brace on his full debut for Chelsea Football Club.
Barely six days after completing his move to the Stamford Bridge outfit, Pedro's goals booked the team a ticket into the Club World Cup final.
He struck two brilliant goals in each half as fans believe the club's search for a top striker could be over.
The is due to the performances of Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap at the 2024/2025 football season.
Each player has brought distinct style, fueling debates over who should lead the line as the first-choice striker under manager Enzo Maresca.
It is a critical decision as Chelsea aim to build on their 2024-25 season, which saw them finish fourth in the Premier League and win the UEFA Conference League.
Nicolas Jackson has been impressive upfront, however the 24-year-old has been inconsistent, missing glaring chances.
A red card against Flamengo in the Club World Cup and a missed chance against Fluminense—have raised concerns as well, per ESPN.
Jackson could slip to third-choice status, as noted by vocal critic and former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.
Liam Delap, who was signed for a £30million from Ipswich Town, offers the club a traditional No. 9 presence, scoring and assisting in the Club World Cup.
However, fans at the MetLife stadium seem to be carried away with Pedro's brilliance as they 'agree' that Pedro is their new first choice striker.
Staunch fan Josue told Legit that he expects Pedro to give defenders in England a lot of problems.
"He’s (Pedro) going to be a massive problem for defenders in England! His clever runs, sharp finishing, and the way he links up with teammates were unreal.
"Those two goals he scored? Pure class. Premier League defenders are in for a tough time."
I scouted this 23yr old player, my comments were like, if João Pedro gets agood club that can deliver and compete, he will score more goals in his career, I can say, you couldn't have signed Liam delap, this man is genius, let Nico Jackson warm the benches. Brazilian ball control pic.twitter.com/tBQM9EmG1T
— Beckham da sports master (@Beckhamsports38) July 9, 2025
Out of respect for his boyhood club, Pedro did not celebrate any of the goals as he raised his hands while his teammates jumped over him.
Another fan, Tavarez Santos added:
"Now this is what I call a striker. Two chances, two goals, that's it. I prefer him to start ahead of Jackson and Delap.
"It's also a good thing that we now have competition upfront."
Joao Pedro becomes the 18th forward signed by Chelsea in just over three years under their current ownership, per BBC Sport.
Arriving from Brighton for £60million, his transfer pushes the club’s total expenditure on attackers during this period to £560m.
