SOCCER: Pedro hat-trick sinks Villa as Chelsea climb into top five

BIRMINGHAM, England – Joao Pedro scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to beat Aston Villa 4-1 on Wednesday, moving above Liverpool in the race for next season’s Champions League spots.

Fifth-placed Chelsea now have 48 points from 29 games, while Villa remain fourth with 51 points from the same number of matches. Villa have struggled recently, winning just two of their last nine league fixtures.

Douglas Luiz gave Villa an early lead, scoring his first goal in more than two years after Leon Bailey’s cross found him inside two minutes. Chelsea gradually took control, with Pedro leveling the score in the 35th minute. Malo Gusto’s low ball across the six-yard box set up Pedro for a precise finish.

Villa thought they regained the lead through Ollie Watkins, but the goal was ruled offside. Chelsea then struck before halftime, with Pedro converting a pass from Enzo Fernandez to give the visitors a 2-1 advantage.

Chelsea dominated the second half, with Cole Palmer adding a third after Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez inadvertently pushed the ball into his path. Pedro completed his hat-trick when Alejandro Garnacho’s run behind the defense allowed a simple tap-in for the Brazilian striker, marking nine goals in his last nine games across all competitions.

Pedro spoke after the match, saying, “It’s a special night for me. My hat-trick came at the right moment. After we lost to Arsenal, we showed how much we want to achieve. Everyone wants to win every game, and it’s an important three points. We are trying to be consistent but have dropped too many points at home. Now we need to look forward.”

Chelsea’s convincing win was their most dominant performance under new manager Liam Rosenior. Reporting by Nick SaidEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters