Joao Pedro scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to thump host Aston Villa 4-1 on Wednesday and move above Liverpool in the table as the race for Champions League places next season heats up.
Fifth-placed Chelsea has 48 points from 29 games, while Villa, in fourth, has 51 points from the same number of matches as it continues to stutter in the league with two wins in its last nine top-flight fixtures.
Douglas Luiz gave Villa an early lead, but that was as good as it got for the home side, as Chelsea, which began to dominate the contest, was clinical in front of goal.
Pedro’s treble took his goal tally to 14 in the Premier League this season, while Cole Palmer was also on the scoresheet for the visiting side in Chelsea’s most convincing performance under new manager Liam Rosenior.
The home side took the lead inside two minutes as Leon Bailey’s scuffed cross found its way to Luiz, who scored his first goal in more than two years.
Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen made a smart save to deny Ollie Watkins, but the visiting side gradually took control of the contest and was level on 35 minutes.
Malo Gusto beat the offside trap, and his low ball across the six-yard box was perfect for Pedro to steer into the net.
Villa thought it had gone in front again when Watkins netted, but he was offside, and instead, it was the visiting side which took a half-time lead as it scored six minutes into added time at the end of the first period.
Enzo Fernández’s pass for Pedro was perfect, and the Brazilian supplied another clinical finish.
That dominance continued into the second half as Palmer added a third when Villa’s keeper Emi Martinez pushed the ball into his path as he attempted to clear a cross.
Pedro completed his hat-trick with the easiest goal of the lot as Alejandro Garnacho got away behind the Villa defence and his square ball provided a tap-in for the Brazilian.
He now has nine goals in his last nine games in all competitions.
Published on Mar 05, 2026
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