The Brazilian missed Chelsea’s defeat against Brentford before the international break because of injury and was also unable to join up with his national team. The time away from competitive action, however, allowed him to recover before Bournemouth’s visit to Stamford Bridge.
He responded with two second-half goals, taking his Premier League tally for the season to five and helping Chelsea secure an emphatic win.
“It was a brilliant game,” João Pedro said. “The international break was a long time. We had time to work, to fix the mistakes against Brentford, and we got a great result.”
The forward was pleased with the performance but stressed that Chelsea still have work to do after conceding once.
“Of course, you want to win with a clean sheet, so we need to keep working. Hopefully the next game we can get that, but it was a great game and three more points,” he added.
Chelsea raced into a two-goal lead inside the opening three minutes, with Jordan Henderson scoring before Morgan Rogers struck. João Pedro then scored shortly after half-time and added another later in the second half, while Henderson completed his own brace with a free-kick.
The goals reflected the growing understanding between Chelsea’s forward players, with Cole Palmer also contributing to the attack. João Pedro believes that combination is developing through the work they put in together during training.
“We work hard. We try to know each other more every day and try to improve, so that’s why we can show our quality in the game,” he said.
“When you play close together, you can decide the game, and we showed that again. For me, I just try to be healthy and help my team-mates, and then we’ll see what I can achieve.”
The 24-year-old also praised Henderson, who marked his home Chelsea debut with two goals and an influential display in midfield. The experienced England international joined to bring leadership and know-how to the squad, and João Pedro believes his contribution extends well beyond his own performances.
“He is a brilliant player, he has had a lot of years in the Premier League and he is experienced. That’s why he joined us, to help us, and he showed he’s a top, top player,” João Pedro said.
“He brings experience, he helps everyone, us in front, the guys at the back, he is a special player and he showed his qualities.”
The result offered Chelsea a welcome response after the loss to Brentford. João Pedro’s return gives manager Xabi Alonso another attacking option in form, while the Brazilian’s comments suggest the squad are increasingly comfortable combining in the final third.
Chelsea will now look to build on the performance in their next league fixture against Everton. João Pedro’s priority is to stay fit and keep contributing as the team attempt to turn their attacking promise into consistent results.