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Pedro Neto’s hat-trick was an important one, not just because it sent Chelsea through to the fifth round of The FA Cup and kept Chelsea’s hope of silverware alive this season.
But perhaps more so, for Neto himself, there had been growing concerns regarding his form. Neto has sparkled in a Chelsea shirt ever since he swapped Wolves for Stamford Bridge in a £54m deal in 2024.
The Portugal international has been immense for Chelsea, now boasting figures of 32 goals and assists in 89 appearances for the club. But following Liam Rosenior’s appointment, Neto had previously struggled.
Early signs looked promising, coming off the bench to score in Rosenior’s first game and getting an assist in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal. But after that, Neto had struggled for form.
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His hat-trick against Hull then came at the perfect time. Rosenior said he didn’t understand the critics of Neto’s form, but he will have been concerned about it affecting Neto’s form until his three goals at Hull.
The first player in 10 years to score FA Cup hat-trick for Chelsea
Remarkably, Neto’s trio of goals saw him end a 10-year wait for a Chelsea player to score a hat-trick in The FA Cup. Of course, Estevao got the other after earlier missing an open goal, rounding Dillon Phillips.
Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
The last player to score a hat-trick for Chelsea in the FA Cup was midfielder Oscar. The Brazilian was on the score sheet three times during a 5-1 win over MK Dons back in January 2016, also in the fourth round.
The hat-trick takes Neto to 14 goals and assists for the 2025-26 season, scoring 10 and creating four more. Only two Chelsea players have more combined involvements this season, in Enzo and Joao Pedro.
Chelsea with prime Oscar would be unstoppable 🤤
His hat-trick against MK Dons in 2016 👉
What to do with Pedro Neto in the summer window…
As things stand, Chelsea have four natural wingers. Rosenior has also used Cole Palmer and Enzo on the flanks over the last few weeks. Jamie Gittens is injured, Alejandro Garnacho continues to earn criticism.
Chelsea’s options on the flanks are far from the finished product. It is likely to be an area that Chelsea address come the summer, and already have done. Indeed, Geovany Quenda will join from Sporting.
Neto, who was a target for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham before joining Chelsea, has been loosely linked with a big-money move to Atletico Madrid. Yet, Chelsea are keen to keep hold of the wide man.
Whether that is the right decision remains to be seen. But if Friday night is anything to go by, it was a reminder that at his best, Neto is easily Chelsea’s best winger. What he needs now, is consistency.
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