How Chelsea can solve their goalscoring problem without injured Joao Pedro as Emmanuel Emegha and Danny Welbeck aim to ease Xabi Alonso concern

Chelsea won their first two games after the latest international break but have now lost two in a row after disappointing results against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. Next they face a struggling Manchester United without Joao Pedro, so how can Xabi Alonso find goals without his star striker?

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The Blues looked close to their best as Bournemouth and Everton were dispatched by a combined scoreline of 7-1 at the start of the month, but the build-up to Halloween has proven to be far more frightening for Alonso.

Brazilian star Pedro was a late omission for last Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Spurs, with Morgan Rogers asked to fill in as the central striker.

Chelsea then went to Anfield on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, this time with Danny Welbeck leading the line, but they lost 6-5 on penalties after the game finished 1-1 in normal time.

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With Pedro out for "a few weeks" according to Alonso, it is imperative that the coach finds a way for the team to score goals.

The problem is magnified this weekend - live with TNT Sports on HBO Max - against a struggling Manchester United team who are conceding 2.2 goals per game since the international break and have won once in the Premier League.

So how can Alonso get Chelsea firing again?

The problem

Pedro has missed four games this season - the EFL Cup games against Leeds United and Liverpool, and league games against Brentford and Spurs.

Taking out the game against Leeds, a topsy-turvy 6-4 win, Chelsea have been outscored 6-1 in the games that Pedro has missed this season.

Looking at the data below, you can see how Chelsea's numbers change with Pedro versus without him. For an increase in statistical data, we are also including the games in which Pedro came on as a substitute.

Chelsea in the PL	With Joao Pedro	Without Joao Pedro	Joao Pedro starts	Joao Pedro comes on as a sub
Goals	1.78	0.4	1.81	0.89
Points Per Game	1.51	0.6	1.54	0.89
Expected Goals	1.77	0.77	1.74	1.35
Shots (inc. Blocks)	13.7	11.0	13.7	12.3
Shots on Target	4.8	2.6	4.8	3.6
Touches in the Opp Box	27.0	22.4	26.4	27.1
Big Chances	2.9	0.4	2.9	1.3

That Chelsea look so impotent without him is cause for concern.

If you expand the data to include all competitions, the numbers present Chelsea as a better team without Pedro. However, it must also be considered that includes cup games against weaker opponents.

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Stuck in the short-term

Chelsea will likely only have two more games without Pedro - Man Utd this weekend, then Sunderland the weekend after - before the November international break, after which the striker is expected to return.

Alonso has started Welbeck three times in the absence of Pedro, with Rogers the other. Aside from the Leeds game, when Welbeck scored twice, there was no real fluency to the team's attack.

Here is Pedro's attacking Opta donut from last season in the Premier League.

Joao Pedro Donut for 2025/26 season

Image credit: Opta

Now, here is Welbeck's from last season.

Danny Welbeck Donut 2025/26 season

Image credit: Opta

While Welbeck shines when it comes to his defensive work-rate, he lags behind Pedro in terms of ball progression and creating chances, which explains why Alonso experimented with Rogers against Spurs.

Pedro Neto playing as a false No. 9 might be the best solution to the problem because of his defensive work-rate and ability to carry the ball, which might create the space that Rogers and Palmer need to operate in.

That leaves the team with a similar problem to the one faced against Spurs - they couldn't progress up the pitch because the release valve pass to the striker was unavailable.

While Rogers thrived away at Everton as an outlet on the left, he was unable to compete with Spurs' physical centre-backs and Neto might face the same problem.

Which may bring Alonso back to the experienced Welbeck in two games against his former sides.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

Where does 'special' Emegha fit in?

Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha, who joined in the summer from sister club Strasbourg, is a longer-term prospect.

Emegha, 23, was seen as the replacement for Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap, an understudy to Pedro.

He has had a disrupted start owing to a long-term hamstring injury preventing him from making his debut until Wednesday evening at Anfield.

While Emegha had a night to forget, before the game Alonso hailed his "special qualities."

Emegha is described as "impressive" by Eurosport France's Cyril Morin, who watched him play in France with Strasbourg, saying that he is "quick, agile and efficient - all you can ask for from a top striker."

Morin does, however, point out that Emegha may have been better suited to moving to a mid-table side rather than one with UEFA Champions League aims, and that his final season in France was all over the place for a variety of reasons.

Emegha's donut for 2024/25, his best season in France, compares favourably to Welbeck, though he can't match his older team-mate's defensive actions.

Emmanuel Emegha Donut 2024/25 season

Image credit: Opta

He ranks slightly better for aerial duels, which may help him in the direct style of football Alonso wants to play.

Emegha lacks match sharpness but if Alonso chooses to start Welbeck, as he did at Anfield, the younger player becomes a potential game-changer late on.

When Pedro is back, Emegha can be an option when chasing the game, but he could also join the Brazilian in a two-pronged frontline or allow the former to drop deeper should Rogers or Palmer be absent.

Given that Pedro is not a long-term absentee and Emegha needs to build his minutes, Alonso will likely stick with Welbeck for now.

Using Neto or Rogers as false No. 9 is tempting, but Chelsea may lose too much from Neto as a hybrid wing-back and from Rogers as one of the two No. 10s.

Welbeck, and eventually Emegha, will offer more traditional striker profiles, which Alonso prefers.

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