Joao Pedro has made an instant impact in his new role at Chelsea, finding the net just thirty-one seconds into the campaign. The Brazilian forward marked the beginning of his tenure wearing the club's iconic number nine shirt with a deft chip over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, setting his side on course for a dramatic 3-2 victory at Craven Cottage during manager Xabi Alonso's debut match.
The milestone follows a busy period for the 24-year-old, who has secured improved financial terms on a contract extending until 2034. It also comes on the heels of a successful debut campaign with the London club following his £55m transfer from Brighton, which included up to £5m in add-ons. Last season, the attacker notched twenty goals across all competitions while wearing the number twenty jersey, becoming the first Blues striker to hit that total since Diego Costa nine years prior.
That production has cast a spotlight on the historical struggles associated with Chelsea's number nine jersey, which superstitious supporters have long viewed as carrying a burden. Since Dutch forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink departed in 2004, the club has struggled to find a prolific, long-term contributor in that specific shirt. High-profile acquisitions such as Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all endured difficult and brief stints wearing the number.
The previous occupant, Liam Delap, scored just one Premier League goal last term and has been in discussions with Nottingham Forest regarding a departure from Stamford Bridge. While players like Tammy Abraham enjoyed productive periods in the jersey before moving to Roma, non-strikers such as Khalid Boulahrouz and Steve Sidwell also wore the number during earlier eras.
Addressing the talk of a curse following the win at Craven Cottage, where he featured alongside Cole Palmer and club-record £117m signing Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro dismissed the notion. He stated that he does not believe numerals carry the weight to dictate pressure on the pitch.
Those close to the player share his confidence, viewing his rise as the product of relentless determination forged during his upbringing in Ribeirao Preto, located hours inland from Rio de Janeiro. Raised primarily by his mother, Flavia Junqueira, and his grandmother, the forward overcame early adversity after his father, former Botafogo player Jose Joao de Jesus, spent years in prison following a murder accessory charge.
Early in his youth development, Joao Pedro transitioned from a defensive midfielder into an advanced role after being scouted by Fluminense. Relocating to Rio required immense sacrifice, with Junqueira leaving her job and family behind while the young player battled severe homesickness. Despite academy staff initially claiming he lacked the physical strength to succeed, his mother invested her dwindling resources into hiring a personal trainer to support his development.
Having missed out on a spot in Brazil's World Cup squad over the summer, the forward now carries significant expectations as Chelsea's primary attacking focal point. With his first goal of the season already secured, he aims to prove that past troubles associated with his jersey number belong firmly in the past.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.
