Chelsea were putrid on Saturday night against Newcastle United, losing 1-0 and showing no attacking threat despite having both Cole Palmer and a seemingly in form Joao Pedro starting together.
One of the players who did not start? Pedro Neto. Chelsea fans were happy to see the back of him after a few terrible, selfish displays in the Blues attack, but manager Liam Rosenior was singing a different tune after the loss to the Magpies.
Rosenior said of Neto, who was suspended after shoving a ball boy, “ We knew there would be a hearing. It cost us Pedro on the pitch today who could have made a huge difference.”
The fact that Chelsea may have missed Neto, who has been poor in recent weeks, speaks volumes to just how dreadful Pedro, Palmer, Alejandro Garnacho and the rest of the previously positive attackers were against Newcastle.
But forget Neto. You know who Chelsea really miss and who cannot come back soon enough? Estevao Willian.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.