Joao Pedro has made a flying start to the 2026/27 season, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most productive forwards while raising hopes that Chelsea have found their next superstar and could finally put their long-standing curse to rest.
The Brazilian leads the Premier League’s goal-contribution charts with eight in six matches, putting him one ahead of Brighton’s Pascal Groß and two clear of Manchester City's Erling Haaland.
The 25-year-old joined the Blues from Brighton in the summer of 2025, arriving on the eve of the Club World Cup knockout stages during Chelsea’s triumphant campaign in the United States.
Goals against his childhood club, Fluminense, in the semi-final and Paris Saint-Germain in the final quickly strengthened the case that Chelsea’s £60 million investment was money well spent.
Just weeks before Pedro’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea announced the signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in a £30m deal. Upon his arrival, the English forward opted to take the number nine shirt.
The number nine carries a notorious curse in west London, with multiple strikers, including Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku and Radamel Falcao, all failing to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge while wearing the elusive number.
Delap struggled to make an impact, scoring just one league goal before leaving Chelsea after 12 months to join Nottingham Forest in a reported £50m move.
The 23-year-old’s shirt number was swiftly taken by the Brazilian star ahead of the 2026/27 season, a number he had been craving since his arrival at the club.
With the number nine unavailable during the 2025/26 season, The Telegraph has revealed the background behind Joao Pedro wearing the number 20.
Perhaps a touch of superstition was at play, as the report claims the number was chosen because Cole Palmer had enjoyed success wearing the number 20 before switching to the number 10.
The change of squad number has already coincided with the Brazilian breaking the supposed curse, as he won the Premier League Player of the Month award for August. In addition, his prolific start to the season earned him a recall to the Brazilian national team by coach Carlo Ancelotti. However, he later withdrew from the squad to manage a knee issue.
With Everton, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United still to face before the end of the month, Pedro faces a significant test of his current form. If he continues to deliver in front of goal, the Brazilian could prove central to Chelsea’s ambitions this season - and perhaps finally put the club’s infamous number nine curse to rest.