Alonso compares João Pedro to Benzema and Haaland
Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso said that forward João Pedro is on the same level as Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and reminds him of Karim Benzema in terms of playing style. He said this, according to Sky Sports, ahead of Chelsea's Saturday match against Hull at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso's assessment
Asked whether he puts the 24-year-old Brazilian on the same level as Haaland, Alonso answered in the affirmative. According to the coach, João Pedro is among the leading forwards in the English Premier League.
Alonso also noted the player's football qualities, maturity and desire. He said that the forward wants to have a strong season, score many goals and contend for individual awards not just for one month.
Similarity to Benzema
The coach sees traits of his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema in João Pedro. Alonso called similar the Brazilian's ability to operate inside and outside the penalty area, drift to the left flank and play with his head.
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In the coach's view, João Pedro is a versatile and intelligent footballer, although he still has room to develop. Benzema scored 354 goals in 658 matches during his time at Real Madrid.
João Pedro was named the Premier League Player of the Month for August. In the first three matches of the season, he scored two goals and provided two assists, while in the previous season he scored 20 goals in 50 games for Chelsea.
Interaction in attack
The forward also spoke about playing with Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers. According to him, the footballers think similarly on the pitch but have different characteristics: he plays as a central striker and holds the ball more often, Palmer plays closer to the number 10 position, while Rogers carries the ball more and beats opponents. In the first three Premier League matches, the trio combined for six goals and four assists.
