Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville has delivered a scathing critique of Pedro Neto after the Portuguese forward’s display during Chelsea’s 1-1 stalemate against Manchester City on Sunday. Neville expressed profound exasperation with the winger, arguing that Neto lacks the mental fortitude and clinical edge required to emulate club icon Eden Hazard.
Despite a week of turmoil that saw the London club part ways with manager Enzo Maresca, a leaderless Chelsea squad managed to snatch a point at the Etihad Stadium thanks to a 94th-minute equalizer from Enzo Fernández.
Manchester City appeared to be cruising toward a vital victory after Tijjani Reijnders fired the home side ahead in the 42nd minute. Pep Guardiola’s men maintained control for large periods, but their inability to secure a second goal allowed the visitors to remain within striking distance. In the dying moments of stoppage time, Fernández bundled home a rebound to stun the defending champions. While the result boosted the morale of the travelling support, Neville focused his attention on Neto, whose decision-making and perceived lack of ambition drew the former defender’s ire.
“I mentioned in the first half that they’re a good team. Pedro Neto, you mentioned at the end that he was getting more involved in the game and he was shining. But he really frustrated me in a way you wouldn’t believe. He’s pretty close to being like Eden Hazard, but he’ll never be exactly like him because he doesn’t have that same drive to win and make the big plays. Hazard had that beautiful glide about him, but he was also a killer, and you’ve got to be a killer in those situations, and Neto isn’t that,” Neville stated on his podcast.
Neville further elaborated that City’s late-game collapse served as a fair consequence for their failure to finish the job earlier in the match. The pundit noted that while Neto showed flashes of talent, the gap between being a skillful player and a game-changer like Hazard remains vast. He criticized the 25-year-old for failing to seize the initiative during several promising second-half counter-attacks before Fernández eventually spared his blushes.
“It was really frustrating in the second half, but Chelsea scored an equalizer towards the end. Man City finally got their reward in the end because they didn’t finish the job properly,” Neville concluded.
The result leaves Manchester City six points behind league leaders Arsenal, while Chelsea continues to search for a permanent successor to Maresca. Interim coach Calum McFarlane took charge for the fixture, earning praise for his defensive organization despite the ongoing search for a new head coach. Chelsea now prepares for a midweek clash against Fulham, where fans hope the attacking unit can demonstrate the “killer instinct” Neville believes is currently missing from Neto’s game.
