Alonso Puts Joao Pedro With Haaland—and Sees Shades of Benzema

• Alonso tips Joao Pedro to be on par with Erling Haaland
• Premier League Player of the Month: 2 goals and 2 assists in first 3 games
• Compared to Karim Benzema for complete, intelligent forward play

Xabi Alonso isn’t whispering it—he’s shouting it. The new Chelsea boss believes Joao Pedro is operating at Erling Haaland levels right now, and even says the Brazilian evokes memories of Karim Benzema. Big claims, yes, but after an electric August that brought the Premier League Player of the Month award, you can see why he’s bullish. For those eyeing early-season momentum—and the market—punters scanning the best football betting sites will have taken note.

Alonso’s Big Call on a Small Sample

Alonso took the reins at Stamford Bridge in the summer and has wasted no time backing his man. Pedro, still just 24, has opened the campaign with two goals and two assists in three, dovetailing smartly with Cole Palmer and £117m arrival Morgan Rogers in a slick front three. When asked if Pedro belongs in the same bracket as Haaland—the Manchester City spearhead who claimed last season’s Golden Boot with 27 goals—Alonso’s answer was emphatic: absolutely.

Now, let’s be fair. Haaland sets a brutal standard across 38 games. On current form, Pedro is right there—clean in his finishing, crisp in combination play, and brimming with personality. To make the comparison stick over a season, he’ll need consistency against the league’s nastiest defences. But Alonso’s confidence speaks to what he’s seeing every day: a forward who’s maturing fast and setting markers early.

Benzema Echoes in Pedro’s All-Round Craft

What really sells the Benzema parallel is Pedro’s all-court game. He can hurt you in the box, he can knit it outside the box, he slides into that left channel to link play, and he’s tidy in the air. There’s an economy and intelligence to his movement—less chaos, more calculation—that screams elite No 9 play. It’s not that he is Benzema; it’s that he echoes the Frenchman’s blend of guile and goals when he’s in rhythm.

For Chelsea, that’s gold dust. A confident Pedro, fed by Palmer and balanced by Rogers’ power, gives Alonso a front line with gears. Keep the output ticking through autumn, turn good spells into game-winners, and the Haaland chatter won’t sound fanciful—it’ll sound inevitable. For now, chalk it up as a bold call from a manager who clearly thinks he’s got something special on his hands—and, on this evidence, he might be right.

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