‘I don’t have one way to score, you know?’

From the moment he arrived at Chelsea towards the latter stages of our triumphant Club World Cup campaign, Joao Pedro showed he had an eye for goal.

He netted a blockbuster brace on his first start – mixing finesse with ferocity against his former club Fluminense - and then, in the New York showpiece, proceeded to put us 3-0 up against Paris Saint-Germain with the deftest of finishes. Joao Pedro’s Chelsea career may have barely been a week old, but he had already showcased some of the different types of goals he was capable of scoring.

Since then, closer to home, his variety of finishes – be it with his left foot, right foot, or his head, and from distance, or a few yards out – have been on full display.

Just look at the six goals the Brazilian has scored since Liam Rosenior took charge last month. There have been thunderous long-range efforts (Brentford, his first at Napoli); clever finishes when bearing down on goal (Crystal Palace, the winner in Naples, Leeds); and a cute header (West Ham).

The last of those goals, which kickstarted an epic comeback win against our London rivals, showcased Joao Pedro’s intelligent movement and dexterity as he met Wesley Fofana’s cross with a perfectly-placed and weighted header.

‘Because Liam [Delap] was more central, I went behind the defender, and of course Wes produced a great cross,’ Joao Pedro told the official matchday programme for this month's game against Leeds.

‘So when I made the run, I thought maybe the ball wouldn’t come to me, but I knew the space between the centre-back and the right-back would be there, so just from knowing that, I made the movement.

‘Normally when the cross comes to the second post, the keeper always runs to the post quickly, so you know the other side of the goal will be open. This was a great header because it was difficult as the ball was very high, so I had to jump and... [he acts out the glancing motion]. But the pass from Wes was brilliant.’

Indeed, Joao Pedro’s first two Premier League goals for us were also headers - against West Ham and Fulham back in August – and that part of his game is something he says will only improve as his chemistry with his team-mates strengthens further and he can better anticipate where they will deliver the ball.

The return to fitness of Cole Palmer has clearly benefitted Joao Pedro, too. He converted coolly against Napoli and Leeds after latching on to our No.10’s through passes.

‘When I was in the academy, I played as a six, as a number eight, a number 10, on the left wing,’ Joao Pedro explained.

‘I think it helped me because in those positions you have to be more clinical, technical, you know? You cannot miss the touch. So now, in the striker position, if you make a good touch, this can decide the game. If you find the right touch to finish, you can score more.

‘As a striker, you never know where you’re going to receive the ball, or if it’s going to arrive on your left or right foot. So you have to be ready to react, and what I always try to do is work on that, to be really ready for the moment.’

You cannot ignore Joao Pedro’s creativity, either. He has seven assists already in the league this season (including the three penalties he has won recently after tempting opposition defenders into errors), none better than that which set up Enzo Fernandez’s injury-time winner against West Ham.

Many strikers would have shot, but Joao Pedro recognised any attempt would likely have been blocked, and squaring the ball into a dangerous area was a better option.

‘I looked a little bit but I didn’t see him, I just knew the space was there and he was going to arrive, or if not him, then other people would be there because we trained like that,’ noted the 24-year-old of that fine assist.

Joao Pedro says his football schooling on the streets of his native Brazil have helped him adapt to the litany of challenges different-sized defenders pose. He knows in the Premier League he must blend muscle with good movement and technical quality. His equaliser at St James’ Park in December was a perfect example of the attacker utilising all those attributes in one movement: outmuscling and then outsprinting an opponent before finishing smartly.

‘You need to find a way to do the best against your defender each time. And that’s why I think sometimes I’ll score a brilliant goal, sometimes a simple goal.

‘Like against Napoli, I had more space to hit it with my weaker foot, and then against West Ham my goal was a header. So I try to be complete. It’s good for me because if you have another solution, it will be easier for you to show your best.

‘Everyone expects goals from me, so I try to work on that in training to be ready in the games. I know it’s difficult but if I keep working, I think I can achieve a high level. It’s been good. I’m in form, scoring goals and getting assists, and that’s why I want more.’

Joao Pedro already leads the goalscoring charts for us this season, with 13 so far. Add in his eight assists in all competitions and that amounts to a goal contribution every 120 minutes this season – an impressive ratio, and testament to the significant impact Joao Pedro is having in his first full campaign in blue.

- You can buy past and upcoming editions of the official matchday programme, featuring exclusive interviews and content, here.