Chelsea failed to capture three points against struggling Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, settling for a 2-2 draw after both taking the lead and falling behind during the 90 minutes.
Marcos Alonso added to his Blues goals tally with a double that rescued a result for Frank Lampard's side, his second coming five minutes from full time, keeping a marginal buffer between themselves and Manchester United in the race for Champions League football.
Pedro made a rare appearance in the starting line-up, rewarded with a hand in the equaliser and the Spaniard had plenty to reflect on during a choppy afternoon down by the coast.
Game of two halves
If statistics are anything to go by, Chelsea should have been home and dry, boasting 73% possession and accumulating 23 shots on Aaron Ramsdale's goal, compared to nine from their hosts.
And after 45 minutes, it seemed the victory would be heading back to Stamford Bridge, as Alonso's clean strike just shy of 30 minutes gave the Blues a commanding lead at the break.
Pedro echoed this sense of security, telling the Chelsea website, "In the first half we were playing very well and we created chances and the game was under control."
The Cherries bit back; quick fire goals from Jefferson Lerma and Joshua King sent the visitors onto the back foot, only for their left back to bag his second in the dying embers of the match.
"Finally, we scored with Marcos again but one point for us is a big opportunity lost to recover points on Leicester (City) and for this reason it was a pity for us," Pedro continued, emphasising the fact of two points lost rather than three points gained.
Set back by set pieces
Defensive frailties have been evident since Lampard took over as manager last summer, failing to keep a clean sheet for the fifth consecutive game running, letting in ten during that period.
Bournemouth's leveller, a Lerma header, came direct from a corner, meaning Chelsea have conceded 9 goals from set pieces in the league and two more in the Champions League.
"It is always difficult when you concede goals from set-pieces, and also to concede when you start the second half again," Pedro commented, referring to Eddie Howe's rapid restart and one of three that Bayern Munich managed mid-week.
To their credit, Chelsea have managed to find the back of the net despite the injuries woes to leading scorer Tammy Abraham; put into perspective, Alonso has scored as many goals in 2020 (three) as the trio of the Blues recognised strikers combined.
Pedro acknowledged the contribution of his fellow countryman, and the frustration that he and his team mates felt, having needed something more from the final score line.
"This is frustrating because you are playing very well, Marcos and Reece with good energy and good spirit."
Double header with Merseyside duo
Chelsea's ferocious fixture list shows no signs of easing up, hosting Liverpool in the FA Cup on Tuesday evening, before entertaining Everton in the league, both being held at the Bridge.
The tie with the Toffees is particularly relevant in the race for European football, as Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival has thrown his sides name into the equation for next seasons competition, sitting six points adrift of United in fifth place.
Lampard must be careful not to allow his current Champions League spot slip, meaning his players- like Pedro- must put on a steely show from now until the end of the campaign.
"We need to improve and we need to recover some of our compactness because sometimes it is difficult to play with space, but we continue in this way to do our best in the next game," the 32-year-old forward added on the aspects that need work before the action begins all over again.