BLUE TURN
Pedro says FA Cup success can help under-fire Conte transform Chelsea season
PEDRO insists Chelsea’s extratime FA Cup win at Leicester will be a turning point to salvage their season.
The Stamford Bridge club’s title defence and hopes of glory this term have been hammered in 2018.
They went out of the League Cup semi-finals to Arsenal and, last week, crashed out of the Champions League against Barcelona.
The club have also been struggling in the Premier League after four defeats in six games to slip to fifth.
It means Roman Abramovich’s men are in grave danger of missing out on Champions League qualification amid growing uncertainty about the future of manager Antonio Conte (right).
But Pedro, who headed a quarter-final winner at Leicester to set-up a semi-final with Southampton, says the gritty 2-1 win has done much to restore their battered confidence.
He said: “It has come at a very important moment in the season and will help us go for this trophy and the top four.
“It’s a good chance for us to finish the season well. There is a good atmosphere to change this situation and to fight until the end for our targets.
“We have one or two months left in the season and all the players have to give the maximum. This is the way for us. “I am very happy with the goal, to score, for the win, and for us to go through to the next round. “It was very important for us to get the confidence again and to help us fight until the end in the remaining games. “It’s a very difficult situation for us. But we are still fighting for the top four and the FA Cup. “This win gives us a good moment. Now we have to enjoy this win, which can give confidence to the team.” Pedro was also pleased for Spanish compatriot Alvaro Morata, who bagged his first goal since Boxing Day to open the scoring. The striker, signed last summer for £60million from Real Madrid, has endured a tough 2018 with form and fitness due to a back problem. But Pedro added: “He’s in very good condition and it is perfect for the team. I’m very happy for him to score again. “Alvaro is a very good player and a very important one for us. It will give him more confidence from now until the end. “He is in a good moment and in good condition to fight and to play every game. “I hope he will stay in this form from now until the end of the campaign.”