A total of 21 Albion players earned minutes in the Premier League Summer Series opener, writes Larry Henry Jr.

But one truly walked away with an early boost of confidence ahead of the new season.

Joao Pedro came off the bench and made an early impact for the Seagulls, scoring once from the penalty spot and also registering one assist.

The 21-year-old Brazilian played 37 minutes as a second-half substitute at Lincoln Financial Field, helping the Seagulls fight back despite being reduced to ten men.

Pedro drew a spot kick opportunity in the 78th minute after being bundled over in the box by Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

He proceeded to step up and drill home his effort into the bottom-right corner, cutting the Seagulls’ deficit to 4-2 with 12 minutes to play.

Pedro did everything he could to end the match on a high note. After creating space in the Chelsea box, his cut-back to Deniz Undav was slammed home to make it 4-3.

Although Albion could not find a tying goal in stoppage time, Pedro’s positive performance provided an early glimpse of how he can help the Seagulls attack this season.

“[He’s a] top player for us,” head coach Roberto De Zerbi said post-match.

“He’s still young, but I think he can be a crucial player for us this season because he has incredible ability, he’s a complete player.

"He knows how to score, he has the abilities to attack the spaces on the field, he has incredible technical abilities and I am excited for this new player.”

With three additional friendlies on the schedule over the next two weeks, Pedro will be eager to boost his confidence even more ahead of a opening day showdown with Luton Town at the Amex on August 12.