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Aston Villa 1-4 Chelsea: Hat-trick hero Joao Pedro propels Blues into Champions League conversation
Mar 04 2026 22:11 · By onefootball.com · 21 Reads
Blues battered rivals in battle for top-four finish
Hat-trick hero: Joao Pedro
Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Joao Pedro hit a hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to thrash Aston Villa 4-1 at Villa Park.
The Blues were looking to take advantage of Liverpool losing at Wolves on Tuesday, and they duly did so in Birmingham.
They were dealt an early scare as Douglas Luiz opened the scoring for the hosts, but Joao Pedro found the target twice in the first half to turn the game on its head.
Cole Palmer made it three in the second period after Ollie Watkins saw a goal disallowed for offside.
Joao Pedro completed his hat-trick as the visitors raced clear through Alejandro Garnacho, who slid across the box to his team-mate to seal his treble.
The Blues move up to fifth in the table, and they are now three points off Villa in fourth.