Winger believes no European football is a blessing in disguise
Chelsea winger Pedro believes that his team have an advantage this season over their Premier League rivals as the Blues are not playing European football.
Of course, most sides love playing on the biggest stage and having Champions League football at your club is a great way of attracting players, but Pedro believes it could be a blessing in disguise this season.
Last season’s Premier League champions, Leicester, won the league last season with no European football in their season.
Chelsea sit 4th in the league, below Liverpool in 3rd, who currently aren’t competing in Europe either. However, Man City and Arsenal, who are 1st and 2nd respectively, are both involved in the Champions League.
And the 29-year-old told Spanish radio station Onda Cero the extra time spent on the training ground with Antonio Conte is making a difference for the Blues.
He said: “Without playing midweek we’ve concentrated more on the league, which is the competition we want to focus on the most.
“Not playing allows us to prepare for each match well and work on our shape and you can tell that it’s working well for us.”
But the Spaniard admits after playing in the Champions League all his career, watching other teams play on a Tuesday and Wednesday is a strange feeling.
He added: “After playing in it [the Champions League] for so many years, the truth is not being in this competition is strange and difficult for me.
“But this season can still be a good year for us.
“At the moment we’re going well and we’re on track to be back there next year.”
By Ben Kelly – @benkelly_10