Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca will be under constant pressure when it comes to his team selections this season, largely because he’s got a squad stacked with talent to choose from.
In particular, Enzo Maresca has a plethora of options to choose from in the attacking positions of the pitch.
WhoScored data records that Chelsea are averaging the highest shot accuracy in the Premier League this season. They’ve scored seven goals in three league games so far, but they’ve also conceded five times and need to tighten up defensively.
The likes of Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix have all been on the scoresheet for the Blues this campaign across various competitions. We think there’s so much more to come from Pedro Neto, though.
Pedro Neto may need new position in the Premier League
From all of Chelsea’s signings in the summer, the arrival of Neto in a £54m deal (Sky Sports) from Wolverhampton Wanderers may be the most exciting. Unlike many youngsters to arrive at Stamford Bridge in recent times, the 24-year-old attacker has proven regularly in Wolves colours he can be a force at the top level.
So far, Neto has featured in each Premier League game this season as a left-winger for the Blues. However, Maresca needs to give some serious thought to playing Neto on the right in the upcoming weeks.
Neto has made back-to-back appearances for Portugal during this month’s international break, where he’s started as the right-winger on both occasions. Chelsea supporters praised Neto as a creative spark after his latest Portugal display.
The summer recruit has the versatility to play on either flank, plus he’s an option in more central attacking positions.
While we like Neto’s threat on the left when he’s flying forward with electric pace, he’s such a danger when he’s on the right and allowed to cut infield on to his favoured left foot.
He’s shown glimpses of his quality and potential in the early weeks of his Chelsea career. We’re confident he’ll be a more consistent threat if Maresca moves him to the opposite flank.
Pedro Neto vs Noni Madueke
Noni Madueke, 22, started to make the right wing slot at Chelsea his own before the international break. He’s already scored four goals in four games across all competitions.
If Madueke and Neto are both at their best operating from the right, we see nothing wrong with rotating the pair during a quite busy schedule.
As it stands, Madueke’s done enough to be in the starting line-up when the team returns to action this Saturday night at home to Bournemouth. Nobody should underestimate just how much ability is in Neto’s boots, though.
While Madueke is a bit more direct and sporadic, Neto is certainly more creative and intelligent. It’s a great problem for the manager to deal with moving ahead.
There may be times when one of them has got to play out of position to accommodate the other one, but we’d guess long-term that Neto could be such a valuable weapon for Chelsea on the right wing.
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