Chelsea Football Club finally broke their painful Premier League goal drought in emphatic fashion yesterday evening, as Joao Pedro produced a stunning...
Chelsea Football Club finally broke their painful Premier League goal drought in emphatic fashion yesterday evening, as Joao Pedro produced a stunning overhead kick that sent the home supporters into raptures. The Brazilian forward, who has been a subject of intense transfer speculation in recent windows, rose magnificently to connect with a looping cross, sending the ball past the helpless Nottingham Forest goalkeeper. The strike ended a barren run that had stretched for nine hours of league football, a period that had seen the Blues fail to find the back of the net in four consecutive matches. Coach Enzo Maresca will breathe a sigh of relief, as his side finally gave a good account of themselves in front of goal, though the defensive frailties that have plagued the team remain a concern for the powers that be at the club. In the scheme of things, this single moment of brilliance may not fully paper over the cracks, but it offers a glimmer of hope for a team that has struggled to find its rhythm. The Nigerian international Victor Osimhen, watching from the stands, will have taken note of the quality on display as he continues his recovery from injury. At the end of the day, Pedro claimed the lion. �s share of the credit, and his name will be sung in the terraces for weeks to come. Over in Lagos, at the popular viewing centres in Surulere and Ikeja, the reaction was electric. Fans who had gathered to watch the match erupted into a chorus of shouts and laughter when Pedro. �s boot connected so sweetly with the ball, with one gentleman in a blue Chelsea jersey leaping from his plastic chair and spilling his bottle of malt. The tension that had built up over the preceding weeks evaporated in that single moment, and conversations quickly turned to whether this goal could finally spark a revival for the London club in the weeks ahead.
