Chelsea’s Brighton love-in reaps its rewards, Villa infuriated by stunning new thoughts recreation – and a half-time discuss from Enzo Fernandez picked up this Blues star, writes KIERAN GILL

You should have simply bought Brighton if you love them so much, Toddy boy. What is your obsession with Brighton, Behdad? When oh when will Chelsea leave Brighton alone?

Social media is full of that type of messaging whenever the club owned by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have raided their rivals. Even the Brighton chief executive, Paul Barber, has called them his ‘best customers’. That one tickled the Q&A crowd he was speaking with, raising a round of an applause as he added Chelsea have ‘loyalty points’ with him.

And yet, when it comes to the players signed permanently, it is not as if Chelsea have bought duds from Brighton. Boehly and Eghbali are bound to claim they got the better end of the deals.

Marc Cucurella? Worth his £60million, even if Boehly was only copying Manchester City’s homework at the time. Moises Caicedo? Worth £115m, even if that was a British record fee. Robert Sanchez? Worth £25m, even if he was dropped for this trip to Villa Park without any injury involved as Liam Rosenior wanted to give Filip Jorgensen a go.

In Joao Pedro, Chelsea have done it again. The 24-year-old Brazilian cost £55m in the summer and here at Villa Park, he scored a hat-trick, and was given an assist for Cole Palmer’s finish. Two of his three goals were tap-ins but they showed that he, leading the line as Chelsea’s striker, knows where to be and when. His other finish was a fine lift over Emi Martinez.

This treble means he now has 22 goal involvements in the Premier League, Opta’s statistics saying he has scored 14, assisted five, and won three penalties. Most of those numbers have come since Rosenior was appointed Enzo Maresca’s successor.

Former Brighton forward Joao Pedro’s hat-trick here took him to 22 goal involvements in the Premier League, with most of those having come since Liam Rosenior took charge

So, Barber and Brighton can continue to laugh, and social media can keep poking fun. Chelsea are perfectly happy with the business they have conducted with their fellow Premier League side.

Garnacho quietens critics

Credit should go to Alejandro Garnacho because you will find no shortage of supporters who reckon Chelsea wasted £40m in signing him from Manchester United.

However, with Pedro Neto suspended after his second yellow versus Arsenal, Garnacho exuded positivity throughout this encounter. Rarely did he look to play a safe pass backwards. He got at Villa, and set up Joao Pedro to complete his hat-trick. 

Our only criticism can be that Garnacho did not get a goal for himself on his first Premier League start since January 31, but in Rosenior’s eyes, he was at least getting into those positions.

Garnacho exuded positivity and our only criticism was that he did not get a goal for himself

Stuck in the thick of it

Chelsea like holding a pre-kick off huddle both before the first and second halves. The twist is: they do it slap bang in the middle of the centre circle.

Villa’s players and their fans were not particularly pleased with that as Emi Buendia was waiting to restart the game after half-time, with the Blues trying to force their opponent and his ball out of the way so they could have their huddle.

Chelsea love a psychological ploy, and this particular one was concocted by Willie Isa, their man from the world of rugby league whose task it is to create a proper culture within the club.

Palmer’s pick-me-up

Palmer did not seem particularly pleased with himself as he headed in at half-time and Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea’s vice captain, noticed this. Fernandez was having a word with Palmer, trying to pick him up, encourage him, coax the superstar out of him.

The same was happening as they exited for the second half, and Palmer showed flashes of his old self thereafter. He played the types of passes in behind which we associate with his game, creating clear-cut chances for others while scoring his own strike from 16 yards.

Chelsea fans are desperate to see more of that, and Palmer’s cold celebration.

Enzo Fernandez had a word with Palmer before the second half, trying to pick him up, encourage him, coax the superstar out of him – and the Englishman delivered

Filip finds his feet 

Rosenior was justified in dropping Sanchez as it initially represented a risk, Jorgensen having bad memories of Villa Park after allowing Marco Asensio’s tame shot to squirm under him last season.

Chelsea lost that trip 2-1, and conceded within two minutes here as Douglas Luiz, who the Blues looked at signing in January, flicked in Leon Bailey’s ball into the box.

Jorgensen was impressive from then on, however, denying Ollie Watkins more than once.