Mourinho on Pedro debut: It wasn't quite Maradona, but it was close

The midweek arrival from Barcelona scored one and assisted another on his first outing for the Premier League champions, drawing special praise from his new manager
Jose Mourinho has compared Pedro to Diego Maradona after the new signing played a key role in Chelsea's first Premier League win of the season.

The £21 million arrival from Barcelona opened his account after less than 20 minutes, before assisting Diego Costa as the champions held off a resilient West Brom side to win 3-2 at the Hawthorns on Sunday.

Mourinho admitted to concern over how quickly Pedro would adapt to Premier League football, having spent his entire professional career with Barca, but never doubted the 28-year-old's ability.

"He wasn't quite Maradona but he was close," Mourinho told Chelsea TV. "He’s a very good player. There is always a question mark because of how many top players come to England and don’t perform immediately.

"We have examples in our club and there are lots of examples at other clubs, so it’s very nice for him to come and straight away perform the way he did.

"I expected him to perform like that because he had a good pre-season, and he played three competitive matches. He came with minutes, with intensity, so it was not a question of intensity and condition, it was a question of understanding.

"We worked tactically every day since he arrived for him to try to understand the team and for the team to try to understand what he wants and needs. It was a very good performance."



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