Chelsea produced a stunning second-half display to beat Aston Villa 4-1 at Villa Park, with João Pedro scoring a hat-trick to move his side within three points of their top-four rivals.
The Brazil striker took his league tally to 17 goals for the season, netting twice before half-time and adding a third after the break. Cole Palmer also scored as Chelsea climbed to fifth in the Premier League table.
Villa had taken an early lead through Douglas Luiz, but Chelsea equalised when João Pedro tapped in from Malo Gusto's cross. The hosts thought they had regained the lead through Ollie Watkins, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee.
João Pedro put Chelsea ahead in first-half stoppage time, and Palmer made it 3-1 early in the second half. The Brazilian completed his hat-trick with a fine finish after latching on to Enzo Fernández's pass.
Villa manager Unai Emery admitted his side are in a 'bad moment' after winning only one of their past five home league matches. Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said the victory would only be significant if his team backed it up with consistent performances.
