Things have not been easy for Pedro Neto since he made his big summer move to Chelsea, however there is hope he has just turned a corner.
The Portugal international came off the bench to great effect against West Ham last night, scoring the equaliser as the Blues came from behind to beat their London rivals.
With the usual creativity from the wings nowhere to be seen at Stamford Bridge last night, the introduction of Neto made a real impact on proceedings.
| Pedro Neto vs West Ham | Total |
| Minutes | 38 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Shots | 3 |
| Duels won | 3 |
| Successful dribbles | 1 |
Pedro Neto aims sly dig at Chelsea fans with celebration and comments after West Ham win
The goal was just Neto’s second in the Premier League since joining from Wolves, however came at an important time as the outside noise was beginning to pick up regarding him.
The winger admitted himself he needed to perform better, although seemed to not be a huge fan of the reaction that had come his way to recent performances and results.
Neto’s celebration seemed to mock outside noise, and his post-match comments clarified just as much.
He said to Sky Sports Premier League: “We are a big club. We know one moment you are the best, the next you are the worst. This is about working and being consistent, and this is what we are going to do.”
Chelsea fans have called for Neto to start more often this season, and his performance last night backs up those claims.
Enzo Maresca has big decision to make with Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho
Manager Enzo Maresca has continued to rotate his trio of wingers across the two roles as he looks for someone to stand out as an undroppable option.
Neto certainly looks more comfortable on the right wing, a role that he has been competing with Noni Madueke for this season. Jadon Sancho has held down the left-hand-side frequently.
Despite all three having positive seasons on the whole, a regular goalscoring option to support Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson has been lacking, and this has been exposed with the latter’s recent dry spell in front of goal.
Neto has the chance to build on his performance last night, and with no new winger signed during January he has a few months to prove he can be a long-term answer to their issues out wide.
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