Pedro has the English capital city on target but not to answer Arsène Wenger’s interest and go there to play with Arsenal, as the tabloids have published more than once in the last months, but to conquer his second Champions title. But before getting a place in Wembley, first they have to beat the ‘gunners’ in the last sixteen. In order to defeat the gunners, Pep will pull out his best Pedro, a self-made weapon with a extraordinary development these last two and a half season: 42 nicks decorate his boots.
He’s eager to play a Champions final. In 2009, in Rome, the coach awarded his efforts during the trainings bringing him out at the 92nd minute, substituting Iniesta. It was a signal, a statement of intent for the next season, a show of confidence. Since then he’s been unstoppable. At the highest European competition, for example, he can equal and beat his 4 goals record of the last season. He adds up three this season and he still has a long way ahead.
In the last season, Pedro was unable to score against Arsenal, neither in their Stadium, nor in Camp Nou. He played both matches on the right touchline and bumped into Clichy. The French has been the defender who has best marked him. But Pedro has the gift of being lethal in the big appointments. So he was at the first round of the Spanish Super Cup, at the European Super Cup’s final and at Abu Dhabi’s World Cup, all in 2009, and also in the match against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. Oh! And he’s been three matches without scoring.
In his statements to MD, Pedro admitted that the most bitter memory within his trajectory “was the elimination against Inter de Milan” in the last Champions. That goal he scored in Giusseppe Meazza which made up the 3-1 of the first round wasn’t enough to seal the victory. Given that, this year his aim is to “get that off his back”. Before, however, they have an appointment with a tough nut to crack. “Arsenal will be more dangerous than last year, much more”, he warn us. “Why?”, was asked to him at yesterday’s press conference he attended at the Ciutat Sportiva: “They have Cesc and Van Persie fully fit”. This argument is more than enough. The English live from the passes of the Catalonian player and the goals of the Dutch. His proposal is “to get concentrated onto the pitch, to control the ball and seize the opportunities” and don’t forget that “Arsenal is a team which lets to play”. A good result will allow them to measure “if we can continue in the three competitions as we are doing now. It’s very important because there’s no turning back”, he stated.
The ‘Pep Team’ doesn’t miss any championship. The cushion of points over Real Madrid has lost two springs. The 7 points have been reduced to 5. Pedro didn’t show himself worried. “With 7 points there was still League, and with 5 also. But we are calm. We have advantage”, he ended.
2 - 1 
