Cole Palmer made history by becoming the first player in the Premier League to score four goals in the first half of a match as Chelsea hosted Brighton. The Blues beat Brighton 4-2 thanks to Palmer’s heroics and announce themselves in the title race. With Rodri out for the season, there is an opportunity for teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool to try and chase City, who dropped points in a draw against Newcastle United on Saturday.
Palmer is now also the joint-top hat-trick player in Chelsea history, with three appearances in just 39 league appearances for the club. Palmer joins Chelsea legends such as Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, but another hat-trick leaves him alone at the top for the Blues.
After that half, Palmer is now second behind Erling Haaland in the Premier League in goals scored, with five. Palmer now joins Noni Madueke as the players set to score hat-tricks in the Premier League for the Blues. It is actually the second time he has scored four goals in a game for Chelsea, four of which he scored against Everton in April last season, while he also had a first-half hat-trick in that match. With five goals and four assists so far this season, Palmer is starting to develop into a special player for Chelsea.
By scoring from a free kick and several runs into the penalty area, Palmer has been able to break through the Brighton defense to make things happen. Thanks to Palmer, the Blues were able to make that hot start to victory, but that was not only due to his performances.
Jadon Sancho shows that all he had to do was leave Manchester United with three assists in just three games for Chelsea. Getting that many assists from just five chances created is not sustainable, but Sancho’s presence has brought balance to Enzo Maresca’s side. It creates more space for Palmer in the middle and also adds another player into the attack who is strong in possession.
As the Blues look to establish their identity in another season under new management, it helps to have one of the best players in the league in your side alongside a proven creator. With even Nicolas Jackson finding form, the Blues are quickly becoming a team no one wants to play against.
Defensively there are some concerns as Brighton took advantage of mistakes playing from the back that Brighton pounced on, but as the players become more comfortable with each other and Maresca’s tactics the game will only improve. That’s where this could be a concern for other teams in the league. Over the past few seasons, Chelsea have not posed any real threat for a top four finish, let alone a title challenge, so it could throw a spanner in the league’s fortunes.