Chelsea climbed to third in the Premier League table after coming from behind to beat Brighton 6-2, with Cole Palmer making history by becoming the first player to score four first-half goals in a Premier League game.
In an exhilarating match at Stamford Bridge, Palmer, 22, was the star of the show. The young forward also hit the post and had a goal ruled out for offside before delivering a stunning individual display. Brighton, despite scoring twice early on, were undone by their high defensive line, which Chelsea’s rapid attack exploited.
Brighton’s goals came from errors by Chelsea’s former Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but Chelsea quickly regained control. After Georginio Rutter’s header put the visitors in front, Palmer equalized with a clinical finish from Nicolas Jackson’s pass.
Palmer, after narrowly missing out on two earlier chances, converted a penalty for his 10th consecutive successful spot-kick after Jadon Sancho was fouled in the box. He then completed a hat-trick in just 10 minutes with a brilliant 25-yard free kick into the top corner.
Palmer’s fourth goal, fired in from a Sancho pass, came shortly after Brighton had briefly reduced the deficit when Carlos Baleba capitalized on another Sanchez error. “Chelsea were superb going forward,” but Brighton’s refusal to adjust their tactics left them vulnerable, as young manager Fabian Hurzeler suffered his first defeat.
The second half was quieter, and Palmer missed an opportunity to add a fifth goal, firing wide late on. Nonetheless, Chelsea’s dominant performance secured a crucial victory, adding to their impressive recent form after thrashing Wolves last month.