Chelsea have not scored in their last four Premier League games. Overall, they are goalless in their last five matches when facing a side from the top flight. In between, they might have scored seven past Port Vale, but it has not counted for much when up against the likes of PSG, Manchester City, Man Utd, Everton and Newcastle United.
Chelsea did create their fair share of chances in the game against Manchester United. Ultimately, they did not score though, which is what matters. The points table won’t reflect the number of times they hit the post.
Chelsea need someone to step up and score for them against Brighton & Hove Albion. It is a must win game for them.
In this current team, Joao Pedro has as good a chance as anybody else when it comes to scoring. He is the club’s highest goalscorer this season. Admittedly, after a phenomenal start under Liam Rosenior, the Brazilian striker has cooled down significantly. Despite that, he remains the club’s most likely source of goals. He did end up missing the match against Manchester United through injury though. Will that keep him out against Brighton as well?
Will Joao Pedro play against Brighton?
Rosenior has raised hopes that Pedro could be fit to take on Brighton this week, although nothing is for certain. His status for the game is undecided. But fortunately, it is clear that his injury is not going to keep him out of action for long. According to the club’s official website, the manager said:
“Joao will be a late call.
“He was out on the pitch today, and we will make a decision on him tomorrow morning. That’s a real positive for us because he will be back sooner rather than later”
Overall, that has to be taken as a positive. Of course, we still do not know whether he will be able to play against Brighton or not. But Rosenior’s comments sound positive nonetheless.
Pedro’s availability will be vital for Chelsea
Chelsea must win the game against Brighton. Realistically, they are probably already out of the Champions League qualification race, with Liverpool seven points ahead of them in fifth. But they must believe and go for it.
If Pedro does play against his former club, it will raise Chelsea’s chances of winning. While the Brazilian has not scored a meaningful goal in quite some time, he remains their best hope.
Liam Delap was signed in the summer from Ipswich Town but has not done anything of note since then. So, there is no real backup goalscorer that Rosenior can rely upon if Pedro is unable to play against Brighton.
