The Chelsea squad had every right to celebrate their huge victory against Aston Villa last night, with Malo Gusto sending a message to one of his opponents in particular.
Gusto was on hand to set up Chelsea’s equalising goal, which turned out to be the first of a hat-trick for the brilliant Joao Pedro.
The victory was crucial for the Blues, who were quickly losing ground on some of their top five rivals after a recent slump in form.
BARGAIN: How much is Joao Pedro worth now? 🔥
Chelsea paid £60m last summer.
Tough results have come their way all season though, with one of those in the reverse fixture against Villa at Stamford Bridge. They were defeated 2-1 when Enzo Maresca was still in charge.
After that game, midfielder Amadou Onana mimicked putting three points in his teammate’s pocket after they walked off the pitch, a gesture Gusto clearly remembered from the reverse fixture.
Aston Villa v Chelsea - Premier League
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The Frenchman went over to the travelling supporters after the game, and in a video captured by CFCJnR, copied his opponent’s gesture after they piled real misery on Villa.
The Blues are now just three points behind Unai Emery’s side, and given their poor form and tough run of games, face a real challenge to keep their place in the top five.
Chelsea meanwhile have reason to be confident, even if their fixture list is surely going to cause them problems with fatigue in the run-in.
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Alejandro Garnacho's performance in numbers from Chelsea vs Aston Villa
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An opportunity for rotation is coming their way in the form of Wrexham in the FA Cup, however the big games are quickly back on the horizon.
The Blues face PSG in the Champions League Round of 16, starting next week, surrounded by crucial Premier League games against sides who also have European ambitions.
Gusto is going to play a key role from now until the end of the season, allowing Reece James to move into the middle of the park for the big games.
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