Alonso likens Joao Pedro to Benzema, rates him alongside Haaland

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has offered high praise for striker Joao Pedro, comparing the 24-year-old Brazilian both to his former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema and to Manchester City's Erling Haaland.

Joao Pedro has scored twice and set up two goals in his first three matches of the season, and on Friday was named the Premier League's Player of the Month for August — the first time he has won the award. He finished ahead of team-mate Cole Palmer, who was Chelsea's previous winner of the honour, in September 2024.

Asked whether Joao Pedro could be compared to Haaland, who won last season's Premier League Golden Boot with 27 goals, Alonso said he believed the Brazilian belonged among the league's elite strikers alongside the Norwegian.

Joao Pedro signed a new contract with Chelsea last month, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until 2034, and was given the club's number nine shirt at the start of this season. In his debut campaign he became Chelsea's first striker since Diego Costa to score 20 goals in a season, and has scored 25 goals with 11 assists in 57 appearances since joining last summer.

Alonso also drew parallels between Joao Pedro and Benzema, highlighting the forward's all-round game, his ability inside and outside the box, his heading and his footballing intelligence. Alonso played 195 matches alongside Benzema at Real Madrid.

Joao Pedro was a surprise absentee from Brazil's World Cup squad this summer but has since been recalled for September's fixtures against New Zealand and India. Alonso said the omission had been painful for the player but added that Joao Pedro already had plenty of motivation and was now focused on delivering a strong season for Chelsea.