Chelsea playmaker Pedro has admitted he is finding it difficult to adapt to the rough and tumble of the Premier League.
The Spaniard arrived at Stamford Bridge in a £21.4million deal from Barcelona in the summer and made an impressive debut in a 3-2 victory at West Bromwich Albion.
But he has only found the net once since, against lowly Walsall in a Capital One Cup tie last month, and has opened up about his start to life in west London.
Pedro said: “It’s hard. It’s very different to what I’m used to [at Barcelona].
"But, little by little, I’m integrating more, adapting with my team-mates and the team and that’s the most important thing.
“Everything is different, very different to the football I’m used to. I think there are a lot of differences, very physical football, very strong.
“A lot of players attack and it’s always complicated. All the games are competitive and very balanced.”
Chelsea's victory over Aston Villa in pictures:
Despite a dry spell in front of goal, the forward continues to be among the first names on Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea team sheet.
He got the nod again on Saturday in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa as last year’s player of the year Eden Hazard had to settle for a place on the bench.
Mourinho said: "I left out Hazard because we are conceding lots of goals.
“It was a tactical decision. We needed midfield players to be concerned with being solid.
"I continue that way [leaving Hazard out] or he comes in our direction, and tries to play that way.
"I told players this is not the moment to think about personal situation, or moan, to be selfish.
"This is a moment for the team. I asked them to look at the picture in a different way. I have to try bring results back."
The 2-0 triumph over Tim Sherwood’s men moved Chelsea seven points away from the relegation zone.
