De Zerbi: Joao can get even better

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Only Erling Haaland has more than our 18-goal Brazilian striker.

Bruce Talbot

2024-01-29T06:30:00Z

Joao Pedro scored his first hat-trick in England against Sheffield United on Saturday.

Roberto De Zerbi is delighted with the form of 18-goal Joao Pedro and believes the 22-year-old is capable of further improvement.

Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored more goals this season than the Brazilian, who goes into tonight’s Premier League game at Luton looking to continue a hot streak that has seen him score seven goals in the last six matches after he grabbed his first hat-trick in English football in our 5-2 win over Sheffield United on Saturday.

“The target for Joao is to play better and better, to keep this mentality because now he is showing a great mentality,” said De Zerbi.

“He is becoming an amazing striker because of his quality to play in ball possession. To play in between the lines, he’s important.”

Joao has scored seven of his goals in the Premier League with six in the Europa League and five in the FA Cup. Ten of those goals have come from the penalty spot and no one in Europe’s top five leagues have netted more spot-kicks this season.

But De Zerbi does feel Joao is capable of further improvement.

“The last step to become a great, great player is to play 90 minutes in the same way,” he added.

“Sometimes in the game he starts not at his best and I would like the beginning of the game for him until the end of the game to be the same mentality.”