Neto's versatile role explains his misunderstood playing style
He has scored 10 goals and provided 4 assists this season
His fingers-in-ears celebration is directed at someone specific
Rosenior praises Neto's 'sacrifices' for the team
Neto averages fewer touches in the opposition box compared to other forwards
📖 Full Retelling
Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has been criticized for lacking a 'killer instinct' but his shape-shifting role for the team explains why he might be misunderstood, as evidenced by his recent performances and cryptic celebrations after scoring against Hull City in January 2025. The 25-year-old Portuguese international, who joined Chelsea from Wolves for £54m in August 2024, scored his first career hat-trick in the FA Cup match, bringing his season tally to 10 goals and four assists across all competitions. Despite his productive season, Neto remains enigmatic, particularly with his fingers-in-ears celebration that he refuses to explain, though he confirmed it was directed at someone specific. This season has seen Neto used in multiple positions for Chelsea, including as a striker, left winger, wing-back, and number 10, making him more comparable to Willian than Hazard in terms of versatility and team sacrifice. After former manager Enzo Maresca departed on New Year's Day, his replacement Liam Rosenior praised Neto as 'world class' and highlighted the 'sacrifices' he makes for the team, which may explain why he appears to lack the traditional 'killer instinct' that pundits like Gary Neville have criticized him for.
🏷️ Themes
Football Performance, Player Versatility, Team Sacrifice
# Premier League
The **Premier League** is the highest level of the English football league system and the primary professional association football competition in Great Britain.
### Overview
Contested by **20 member clubs**, the league operates as a corporation in which the teams act as sharehol...
Pedro Lomba Neto (European Portuguese: [ˈpeðɾu ˈnɛtu]; born 9 March 2000) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Chelsea and the Portugal national team.
He started his career at Braga, who loaned him to Italian club Lazio in the summer of 2017. In 2019,...
Chelsea Football Club is a professional football club based in Fulham, London, England. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. In domestic football, Chelsea have won six top-flight league titles, eight FA Cups, five League Cups, and four FA Community Shields.
Pedro Neto's public image and role at Chelsea are under scrutiny, affecting team morale and fan perception; his unique celebration style and mixed performance stats highlight the tension between individual expression and club expectations.
Context & Background
Neto scored a hat-trick against Hull City, boosting his goal tally to 10 this season
Gary Neville publicly criticized Neto, comparing him unfavorably to Eden Hazard
Manager Liam Rosenior praised Neto's sacrifices and versatility across positions
What Happens Next
Chelsea will likely continue to monitor Neto's form in upcoming Premier League fixtures, with potential adjustments to his position to maximize his strengths; media attention may intensify if his performance fluctuates further.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Neto compared to Eden Hazard?
Because both are right‑wingers from Portugal with similar playing styles, but Neto has not yet demonstrated the same goal‑scoring instinct Hazard had at Chelsea.
What roles has Neto played at Chelsea?
He has been used as a right winger, left winger, striker, wing‑back and number 10, showing his versatility for the team.
How is Neto's performance measured?
By goals, assists, expected goals per shot, conversion rate, and contributions in ball‑carrying and sprints, rather than just goal output.
Original Source
'Sacrifices' & celebrations - why Chelsea's Neto is misunderstood By Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter Published 12 minutes ago Chelsea winger Pedro Neto could not resist putting his fingers in his ears after scoring against Hull City - a pointed celebration he has done numerous times this season but refused to explain. Asked if it was directed at anyone in particular, the winger told BBC Sport: "Yes. I will not tell it, but yes. I'll continue my work. I want to help my team-mates and all the fans. I'll keep working hard and move on to the next one." Those cryptic comments felt jarring in the wake of his first career hat-trick and a season in which he has scored 10 goals in all competitions and provided four assists - leaving him behind only Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro for goal involvements at Chelsea this term. Neto opened the scoring at Hull last Friday with a sensational swerving effort. His subsequent corner went straight in for the second, and he completed the 4-0 FA Cup rout with a strike from just outside the box. The Portuguese had a slight dip in form - along with the rest of the team - during a poor winter run in which former manager Enzo Maresca departed on New Year's Day. But Maresca's replacement Liam Rosenior could not understand why anyone would have been critical of the winger, describing Neto as "world class" and praising the "sacrifices" he makes for the team. Rosenior's second point hints at why Neto may be misunderstood by some. 'Never going to be Eden Hazard' After Maresca left Chelsea , they drew 1-1 at Manchester City , and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville singled out Neto for criticism. "He frustrated me like you won't believe," Neville said. "He's a smidgen away from being an Eden Hazard, but he's never going to be an Eden Hazard because he hasn't got that killer instinct." Neto only scored 14 times in 135 games for Wolves before his £54m move in August 2024 - averaging one goal every 9.6 matches. At Chelsea , he has 19 goals in 89 games, ave...
