Xabi Alonso likens Joao Pedro to Benzema and Haaland

Xabi Alonso has offered a striking assessment of Joao Pedro’s place among the Premier League’s elite, saying the Chelsea forward combines a style reminiscent of Karim Benzema with a level comparable to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.

Alonso’s high praise for Joao Pedro

The Chelsea manager’s comments underline how highly he rates the Brazil international, who has made a strong start to the campaign. Joao Pedro, 24, has scored twice and supplied two assists in his opening three appearances of the season, form that earned him the Premier League’s Player of the Month award on Friday.

Alonso said Joao Pedro belongs in the conversation when discussing the division’s top centre-forwards, placing him alongside Haaland in that bracket. It is a notable endorsement given Haaland’s standing as one of the league’s most prolific finishers.

Why Benzema is the stylistic reference

While Haaland is widely viewed as a specialist goalscorer, Alonso pointed to Joao Pedro’s broader attacking profile. The Chelsea striker has operated not only up front but also in midfield, as a number 10 and on the wing during his career, giving him a more varied skill set than a traditional penalty-box forward.

That versatility is why Alonso sees echoes of Benzema, his former Real Madrid team-mate. Alonso made 195 appearances alongside the Frenchman, who went on to win multiple Champions League titles and the Ballon d’Or during his time in Spain. In Joao Pedro, Alonso appears to see a similarly rounded attacker capable of linking play as well as finishing moves.

A productive spell at Chelsea

The numbers help explain the manager’s confidence. Since arriving at Chelsea at the beginning of last season, Joao Pedro has scored 25 goals, including one in a Club World Cup final victory. He also became the club’s first striker since Diego Costa to reach 20 goals in a single season during his debut campaign.

Across 57 matches for Chelsea, he has produced 25 goals and 11 assists, a return that reflects both his finishing and creative contribution. Last month, the club reinforced its commitment to him with a new contract running until 2034, and he was also given the number nine shirt at the start of the season.

How the Haaland comparison stands

Any comparison with Haaland inevitably invites scrutiny because of the Manchester City forward’s output. In his last 57 matches for City, Haaland has scored 42 goals and added nine assists, underlining the difference in profile between the two players.

But Alonso’s point was not simply about matching Haaland as a pure scorer. Instead, it was a reflection of Joao Pedro’s standing among the league’s best strikers and of the different ways elite forwards can influence games. On current form, and with individual recognition already arriving early in the season, Chelsea’s manager has made clear that he believes Joao Pedro belongs in that company.

• Joao Pedro has scored 25 goals for Chelsea since joining at the start of last season.
• He has two goals and two assists in his first three games of the season.
• He was named the Premier League’s Player of the Month on Friday.
• He signed a new Chelsea contract last month until 2034.