Joao Pedro scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to beat hosts Aston Villa 4-1 on Wednesday and move above Liverpool in the table as the race for the Champions League places heats up next season.
Fifth-placed Chelsea have 48 points from 29 games, while fourth-placed Villa have 51 points from the same number of games and continue to stutter in the league with two wins in their last nine top-flight games.
Douglas Luiz gave Villa an early lead but that was as good as it got for the home side as Chelsea, who had begun to dominate the game, were clinical in front of goal.
Pedro’s treble took his goal tally to 14 in the Premier League this season, while Cole Palmer also got on the scoresheet for the away side in Chelsea’s most convincing performance under new manager Liam Rosenior.
The home side took the lead within two minutes when Leon Bailey’s threadbare 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 match and leveled after 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 they had taken the lead again when Watkins scored, but he was offside and instead it was the visiting side who took a half-time lead when they scored six minutes into extra time at the end of the first period.
Enzo Fernández’s pass for Pedro was perfect and the Brazilian produced another clinical finish.
That dominance continued in the second half as Palmer added a third when Villa’s keeper Emi Martinez pushed the ball into his path as he tried to clear a cross.
Pedro completed his hat-trick with the easiest goal of the bunch when Alejandro Garnacho got behind Villa’s defense and his square ball set up a tap-in for the Brazilian.
He has now scored nine goals in his last nine games in all competitions.
Published on March 5, 2026
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