Pedro claims new boss is turning his unbeaten Chelsea into a fresh version of Pep’s Barcelona
PEDRO reckons unbeaten Chelsea have all the hallmarks of his old Barcelona side.
And the former Nou Camp star says the approach of new boss Maurizio Sarri is a welcome breath of fresh air.
After being worn down by former boss Antonio Conte’s safety-first approach, the shackles are off for Chelsea under his fellow Italian.
And it is no wonder flying winger Pedro is loving it – he must feel like he has swapped the Nou Camp for the Blue Camp now Sarri (below) is in charge.
“The team is better than last season,” Pedro said. “This coach has a very good idea to press, to attack, to play, to have more players between the lines, to create chances, and to play with a lot of possession of the ball. This is very good.
“With Sarri we are running a lot but it is different because all the time you press really high.
“With Antonio, we were maybe more compact but we defended always in our own half.
“That means that when you recover the ball to attack, you have a very long way to the opposition goal. With Sarri, when you recover the ball you are in very good position to attack. You are close to the goal to score, to create chances.
“It is the most important thing and the most important difference from last season to this season. It is a very good change for the team. You can see it is better from the results we are getting.
“It is really the same idea as
Barcelona under
Pep Guardiola.
They (Sarri and Guardiola) are very similar in their ideas. T heir attacking ideas are the same.”
If what Chelsea deliver is anything like the football allconquering Barca were famed for, Blues fans will be in for a real treat this season.
But Chelsea’s improvement under Sarri is already huge. They limped to fifth last term but have laid down their title credentials with a pacesetting five wins from five and also won their opening Europa League game on Thursday.
Sarri’s wide men appear to have been among the big beneficiaries of his arrival, with Pedro, Eden Hazard and Willian scoring 10 of Chelsea’s 15 league goals this season, and now Pedro is aiming to bag a whole lot more.
“Maybe it is better for me because I create four or five chances during the game,” said Pedro, forced off late against PAOK Salonika on Thursday with a shoulder injury but who is expected to be fit for tomorrow’s trip to West Ham
Pedro’s three goals in his first four league games matches his tally over his final 24 games of last season, underlining the Sarri effect.
Now he is in an attacking setup that suits him much better, the Spanish international – whose best scoring season was a 20-goal campaign for Barca, where he lined up alongside Lionel Messi (above) – said: “It is very competitive, this league, so I don’t know if I can get 20 goals but it is a very good challenge for me. Now I’m on three so 17 to go. Come on, it is possible.
“I’m very happy with my start but the important thing is to get points. The start is very good for the team and this is the way to continue so we can fight for the title.
“It is very early to speak about this but this way is the right way.”