Pedro Neto nets first senior hat-trick in Chelsea FA Cup win

Pedro Neto hailed Chelsea’s mentality after his first senior hat-trick helped secure a commanding 4-0 FA Cup win over Hull City and joked that a “party” was planned to celebrate the milestone.

The Portuguese winger was the standout performer as the Blues progressed to the fifth round with an emphatic away display.

Neto opened the scoring shortly before half-time with a powerful strike from the edge of the box. He then doubled the lead early in the second half when his inswinging corner sailed through the penalty area and into the net.

Although the goal was initially credited to Jorrel Hato, replays confirmed the Dutch defender did not make contact.

After Estevao Willian added a third from a Liam Delap assist, Neto sealed his hat-trick with a composed finish into the bottom corner.

“Really pleased,” Neto said after the match. “I think the mentality of the team was amazing. We came to a tough place, winning 4-0 away. This competition is really tough. So we are really happy to go through to the next round.”

Neto admitted he was unsure whether his second goal would stand as his own.

“To be honest, on the second goal, I was in doubt if it was mine or not. At the end of the game, I went to the referee and asked whether it was a hat-trick or not. Did I have the right to the ball? He said, ‘Yeah, yeah, you have the right!’”

Hato quickly clarified the situation.

“Jorrel said to me, ‘It’s your goal, I didn’t touch the ball!’ I didn't celebrate a lot because there was a lot of confusion. But in the end, I'm really happy it was.”

The 25-year-old confirmed it was his first senior hat-trick and could not resist a light-hearted remark.

“It’s my first senior hat trick, so we’ll have a party tonight!”

Beyond the individual milestone, Neto was keen to emphasise the collective performance.

“But most of all, I'm happy that we went through. We did an unbelievable performance against a tough team away and I think it's a well-deserved win.”

He also stressed that improvement remains the priority.

“We have to keep winning, but first of all, we have to keep improving. I think there are more details that can take us to the next step. So we are really working hard on that.”

Chelsea now await their FA Cup fifth-round opponents as they continue balancing domestic and league commitments.

Momentum from a dominant cup performance could prove valuable in the weeks ahead.

Can Neto build on this hat-trick and spark a strong run for Chelsea?