Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has singled out Blues forward Joao Pedro for special praise following a dramatic Champions League victory over Napoli that secured the club's progression to the knockout stages.
Chelsea's Dramatic Comeback Seals Qualification
Chelsea's place in the top eight positions of the Champions League looked seriously threatened when Napoli came from behind to lead 2-1 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Enzo Fernandez had initially put the Premier League side ahead from the penalty spot, but Napoli responded with goals from Antonio Vergara and Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund to take a half-time lead.
The turnaround briefly saw Chelsea slip out of the qualification places, but Joao Pedro's second-half brace restored their position, with Liam Rosenior's side ultimately finishing sixth to advance directly to the knockout stages and avoid the dreaded play-off round.
Rosenior's Impressive Start as Chelsea Manager
Cole was particularly effusive in his praise for new Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior, who was hired to replace Enzo Maresca earlier this month and has attracted some criticism on social media despite overseeing largely positive results.
'It's been fantastic, superb,' Cole said of Rosenior's tenure to date. 'A lot of people talk about what he's been saying but you need to look at the team. They've won five out of six games now and gone to Napoli and won. You can't really knock that. The lads look happy.'
Cole added: 'Liam is still getting his style of play in but the character was really impressive. A Chelsea team who went behind could have got rolled over a few months ago so he's instilled something in them.'
Special Praise for Summer Signing Joao Pedro
The former England international specifically highlighted the contribution of summer signing Joao Pedro, who scored both goals in Chelsea's comeback victory.
'Joao Pedro can sometimes look a bit on the periphery but he was right at it tonight,' Cole remarked. 'It was a great performance. This isn't the Napoli team that was blitzing everyone in Serie A but it's still an Antonio Conte team.'
Former Premier League midfielder Leon Osman also heaped praise on Chelsea and their £60 million summer signing, stating: 'They were absolutely tremendous goals from Joao Pedro. Yes, I did think Chelsea would go there and win. I felt they needed a big statement sort of result.'
Osman continued: 'Yes, Napoli are struggling with numbers and injuries that they've had but you just felt Chelsea wanted to go there and not just limp through. You felt Chelsea knew they had to get out of there with a victory.'
Consequences for Both Clubs
While Chelsea celebrated booking their place in the next round of the Champions League, the defeat sent Antonio Conte's Napoli crashing out of the competition entirely. The Serie A champions finished a disappointing 30th out of 36 teams in this season's tournament.
The victory represents a significant achievement for Rosenior in his early days as Chelsea manager, demonstrating his ability to guide the team through challenging away fixtures against established European opposition.
