Joao Pedro scored three goals in just nine minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in Chelsea's 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in their pre-season opener on July 28, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The 24-year-old forward was signed by Chelsea from Brighton in July 2025 for a reported fee of £60 million [1, 2, 4]. He scored 20 goals across all competitions in his first season and was named Chelsea's player of the season by supporters [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Despite his strong form, Pedro was not selected for Brazil's World Cup squad [1, 3, 4, 5]. New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso praised him as "very hungry" and "really, really determined to have a great season" [1]. Pedro said he feels liberated by Alonso’s system, enjoying the freedom to play in multiple attacking positions and aiming to score even more this season [1, 3, 4, 5]. He told reporters, "I want to achieve the highest level possible with the team. I always want to try to score to help my team and hopefully next season can be better than last season" [1].

Alonso fielded a youthful side in the pre-season match, introducing experienced players later in the game [2]. In contrast to Pedro’s impact, striker Liam Delap struggled to create chances and was substituted after 60 minutes [1, 3, 4, 5]. Linked with a move to Everton, Delap is "doing well" and working on his fitness, according to Alonso who said, "I see [Liam Delap] in a good mood, in a good desire to get proper fitness, proper football, feeling good" [1, 5].

Chelsea are reportedly looking to offload some forwards after signing attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa but Pedro is not among those expected to leave [1, 3, 4, 5]. The club has also shown interest in experienced players such as Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, signaling a recruitment shift under Alonso [2]. Kazakh teenager Dastan Satpayev scored the opening goal in the pre-season match as a triallist [2].

Chelsea will continue their pre-season preparations ahead of the new campaign with expectations high for Joao Pedro’s contributions under manager Alonso.