Brazilian João Pedro netted his first Premier League hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to crush Aston Villa 4–1 on Wednesday, boosting their push for a UEFA Champions League place next season.
The hosts struck inside two minutes when Leon Bailey’s mishit cross fell kindly to Douglas Luiz, who ended a two-year goal drought with a close-range finish.
Chelsea responded strongly. Goalkeeper Filip Jørgensen denied Ollie Watkins before the visitors took control. The equaliser arrived in the 35th minute when Malo Gusto beat the offside trap and squared for Pedro to finish calmly.
Villa thought they had regained the lead through Watkins, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Instead, Chelsea struck again deep into first-half stoppage time, with Enzo Fernández threading a precise pass for Pedro to double his tally with a clinical finish.
The dominance continued after the break. Cole Palmer added a third after Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez inadvertently diverted the ball into his path while attempting to clear a cross. Pedro completed his hat-trick in the latter stages, tapping in from close range.
The Brazilian now has 14 league goals this season and nine in his last nine appearances in all competitions.
Chelsea, who began the night in fifth, moved to 48 points from 29 matches, tightening the race for a top-four finish. Villa, fourth on 51 points from the same number of games, continue to falter domestically with just two wins in their last nine league outings.
Wednesday’s Premier League results
Aston Villa 1-4 Chelsea
Fulham 0-1 West Ham
Manchester City 2-2 Nottingham Forest
Brighton 0-1 Arsenal
Newcastle 2-1 Manchester United.