Joao Pedro hat-trick fires Chelsea to 4-1 win at Aston Villa

Chelsea boosted their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League with an emphatic 4-1 win at Aston Villa. The Blues had gone three games without a Premier League victory, but produced a strong comeback in the West Midlands. Villa took the lead inside three minutes when Leon Bailey ran past Jorrel Hato and rolled a cross that allowed Douglas Luiz to convert after Ollie Watkins held off Wesley Fofana.

Chelsea levelled after the half-hour mark when Enzo Fernandez found Malo Gusto, whose pinpoint cross set up Joao Pedro at the back post. Villa thought they had regained the lead shortly before half-time when Watkins finished after a loose Reece James pass, only for VAR to rule him offside by inches.

In the final moments of the first half Alejandro Garnacho kept the ball down the left and Fernandez dinked an assist for Pedro to score from a tight angle. After the interval Cole Palmer made it 3-1 when Emiliano Martinez could only parry James' delivery and Palmer smashed in the rebound.

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