After joining the Blues at the start of July, the 24-year-old has become a mainstay in the Blues side.

To say that he hit the ground running would be an understatement, as Joao Pedro scored an outstanding brace in our Club World Cup semi-final against Fluminense and struck in the final against PSG as we were crowned world champions Stateside.

Our No.20 has carried his form into the new campaign, with two goals and three assists registered in his five Premier League outings for Chelsea thus far. It's why Maresca is delighted, if not surprised, with how the Brazil international has settled at Stamford Bridge.

‘We knew that Joao was a very good player,’ Maresca said during his pre-match press conference ahead of Brighton's visit. ‘The scouting department did a fantastic job because they knew him very well from Brighton.

‘We are very happy with Joao. Since he arrived, he has played almost every game. In some moments, we need to think to give him some rest, but we are very happy with Joao.’

For Maresca, one of Joao Pedro’s standout qualities is his versatility. He can play anywhere across the frontline, which gives the Blues head coach a variety of options when selecting the starting line-up.

‘He can solve situations and problems in games,’ Maresca explained. ‘It’s very important. That’s why we used Joao Pedro against Fulham and West Ham as a second striker, because he can also play between the strikers and midfielders.

‘Until now, since the Club World Cup, he has helped us a lot, and we don’t have any doubt that he will continue to help us a lot this season. He’s a very good player.’