Chelsea winger Pedro Neto brutally told he'll 'never be Eden Hazard' after 'bloody frustrating' performance in Man City draw

Chelsea were under the guidance of caretaker boss Calum McFarlane when heading to the Etihad Stadium, with another change in the dugout being made early in 2026. Enzo Maresca - who oversaw Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs last season - was relieved of his duties on New Year’s Day.

The expectation is that former Derby and Hull City boss Liam Rosenior - who has been working with Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg in France - will be handed the reins in west London. He will be hoping to make a team that has gone four top-flight fixtures without a win more consistent.

Whoever fills the hotseat will also have to bring the best out of a talented, and expensively-assembled, group of players. Those ranks include former Wolves star Neto, who has six goals and three assists to his name in 2025-26.

Manchester United legend Neville watched the £51 million ($69m) forward against City and told his podcast for Sky Sports of where Chelsea stand as a collective and a group of individuals: “The big question was whether Chelsea had a goal in them and where was that bite going to come from?

“I said in the first-half that they’re a nice team. Pedro Neto, you said at the end that he was getting further into the match and he was bright. But he bloody frustrated me like you won’t believe. He’s a smidgen away from being an Eden Hazard but he’s never going to be an Eden Hazard because he hasn’t got that killer instinct. 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.

“It was really frustrating in the second half but Chelsea got the equaliser late on. Man City got what they deserved in the end for not killing the game off. Chelsea deserved a point, in a way, because of how they reacted, but they should have been killed off. The Man City players will need picking up because that was a bad one.

“You don’t want to be six points behind [in the Premier League title race], that gap can be retrieved because there’s a long way to go but that will hurt Man City and Pep Guardiola. It’s a good moment for Chelsea and Calum McFarlane, it’s a good end to the week for them.”

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Tijjani Reijnders fired City in front at the Etihad, as the home side dominated the opening 45 minutes, but Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez restored parity in the fourth minute of stoppage-time at the end of the game.

McFarlane told Sky Sports of the fighting spirit on show from his team: “We were exceptional in the second half. First half didn’t go as we planned. That happens when you play against that level of opposition. They shaped up slightly differently and we were pinned back and didn’t have control.

“We showed a lot of character and resilience. The lads took the information on board at half time. We changed the shape. We changed the press. It allowed us to get a good foothold in the game. We deserved a minimum of one point.”

He added when asked how long he will remain at the helm: “I lead the team until I am told otherwise. It’s an honour. I am really proud with the trust they have shown in me. There will be a new manager in soon. We are training tomorrow. I will take that session unless I am told not to. But it was a great occasion.”

Chelsea - who sit fifth in the Premier League table, but are only four points clear of Crystal Palace in 14th - will be back in action on Wednesday when taking in a derby date with west London neighbours Fulham at Craven Cottage.