The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Joao Pedro

  • EPL: Joao Pedro equalises as Chelsea rally to stun Newcastle

    EPL: Joao Pedro equalises as Chelsea rally to stun Newcastle

    Chelsea forward Joao Pedro haunted former suitors Newcastle United as his side showed their powers of recovery to come back from 2-0 down and claim a point.

    It looked a long way back for Chelsea at a raucous St James’ Park after a well-taken double from Nick Woltemade put Newcastle in control at half-time.

    But no side have dropped more points – 13 – from winning positions in the Premier League than Newcastle.

    So the stadium suddenly felt a little nervy when Chelsea captain Reece James pulled one back with a pinpoint 25-yard free-kick just a few minutes into the second half.

    It then turned a little hostile when Newcastle were denied a penalty after Trevoh Chalobah bodychecked Anthony Gordon inside the box before Chelsea equalised.

    Joao Pedro, who opted to move to Chelsea ahead of Newcastle last summer, drew his side level. The Brazilian raced through on goal and slotted the ball past Aaron Ramsdale after capitalising on a slip from defender Malick Thiaw.

    It set up a grandstand finish as the game became increasingly stretched and Harvey Barnes had a glorious opportunity to win it for Newcastle late on, but the substitute fired wide on the volley to leave head coach Eddie Howe covering his face with his hands on the touchline.

    Chelsea remain six points clear of Newcastle in fourth while Howe’s side are in 11th for the time being.

  • PSG ‘lost their heads’ after final – Joao Pedro

    PSG ‘lost their heads’ after final – Joao Pedro

    Chelsea striker Joao Pedro said Paris St-Germain “lost their heads” in the aftermath of Sunday’s Club World Cup final.

    The Brazil forward, 23, ended up on the floor during an incident involving PSG manager Luis Enrique, as tempers flared between the two sides following Chelsea’s 3-0 victory at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

    Luis Enrique said afterwards those scenes were the “result of the pressure of the match” and that his “intention was to separate the footballers so the situation didn’t become worse”.

    Joao Pedro, who scored Chelsea’s third goal, said: “I don’t need to talk about them. Everyone wants to win the game and, in the end, I think they lost their heads.

    “But this is football. This has happened. Now we need to enjoy it because we won the tournament, that’s it.

    “I don’t want to talk too much about them because you know how it works. Football is this.”

    The confrontations at full-time came after PSG’s Joao Neves was sent off in the closing minutes for pulling the hair of Chelsea full-back Marc Cucurella.

    Read Also: Joao Pedro off to Club World Cup after joining Chelsea

    Luis Enrique, whose side were bidding to follow up their domestic treble and Champions League victory in 2024-25 with Club World Cup success, said: “I have no problem expressing my feelings at the end of the game in a high level of pressure. It’s very stressful for all of us. It is going to be impossible to avoid that.

    “Everybody was involved. It was not what was best and the end result of the pressure of the match.

    “I have seen [Chelsea manager Enzo] Maresca. I saw he had pushed others and we had to separate all the players and I do not know where that pressure came from.

    “But this is a situation we must all avoid, that goes without saying. My intention was to separate the footballers so the situation didn’t become worse.”

    Joao Pedro’s dinked 43rd-minute finish added to two earlier strikes from Cole Palmer as Chelsea won the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup.

  • Joao Pedro off to Club World Cup after joining Chelsea

    Joao Pedro off to Club World Cup after joining Chelsea

    Chelsea signed Brazil striker Joao Pedro from Brighton in a deal worth a reported £60 million ($79 million) on Wednesday.

    Pedro jetted to the United States, where Chelsea are playing in the Club World Cup, on Sunday after the terms of his eight-year contract were agreed.

    With the transfer now confirmed following a medical, Pedro is available to play for Enzo Maresca’s side in their Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras in Philadelphia.

    FIFA has given clubs involved in the Club World Cup knockout phase until July 3 to register new players for the tournament.

     “Everyone knows this is a big club with a great history,” Pedro said. “They had brilliant players in the past and have brilliant players now, so I am excited to join and you know when you are a Chelsea player you must think one thing – win.”

    Read Also: Gusau assumes WAFU Zone B office in Abidjan

    Pedro, who joined Brighton for £30 million from Watford two years ago, scored 30 goals in 70 appearances for the Seagulls and has been capped three times by Brazil.

    The 23-year-old missed Brighton’s final two matches of the season after being dropped due to a training ground altercation with team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke. Pedro is the fourth player Chelsea have signed from Brighton in recent years after Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez.

    Chelsea, who qualified for next season’s Champions League, have already splashed out on striker Liam Delap, midfielder Dario Essugo and defender Mamadou Sarr since the end of last term.

    Brazilian rising star Estevao Willian, 18, will join the Blues after his Club World Cup campaign with Palmeiras.

    Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens could also be a Chelsea player soon after a deal worth up to a reported 65 million euros ($76 million) was agreed for the 20-year-old on Saturday.