August 25, 2026
By Enitan Abdultawab
Joao Pedro made a dream start to life as Chelsea’s new No.9, scoring just 31 seconds into the Blues’ Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday.
The Brazilian forward opened the scoring at Craven Cottage with a brilliant chip over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno after being played through by Cole Palmer.
Pedro’s early strike not only gave new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso the perfect start to his reign but also ended the club’s long-running struggles associated with the No.9 shirt.
