Cole Palmer delivered a remarkable solo display in Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Brighton on Saturday, making history as the first player to net four goals in the first half of a Premier League match.
The 22-year-old playmaker equalized for Chelsea in the 21st minute. He then scored a penalty and a spectacular free-kick within the next ten minutes, completing his hat-trick. Just before halftime, he added a fourth goal, finishing first-time off a Jadon Sancho assist.
While Palmer is the first to score four in the first half of a Premier League match, four others have managed four goals in a single half. Palmer also came close to adding to his tally, hitting the post and having another effort ruled out for offside. In the second half, he had a chance for a fifth but missed a one-on-one opportunity against Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.
“I wasn’t aware of the record until the lads told me,” Palmer shared in a post-match Sky Sports interview. “I’m very happy about it. Missing that chance in the second half upset me because it felt like an easy one to score.”
Brighton took an early lead in the match at Stamford Bridge when Georginio Rutter capitalized on a defensive lapse by Chelsea, heading the ball into the net despite pressure from Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sánchez and defender Marc Cucurella. However, Palmer quickly turned the tide in favor of Chelsea with his impressive performance.
After linking up with Nicolas Jackson for his first, Palmer converted a penalty after Sancho was fouled, getting closer to setting a record for the most penalties scored in the Premier League without a miss—currently standing at ten, one shy of Yaya Touré’s record.
Palmer’s hat-trick was capped off by a stunning 25-yard free-kick into the top corner. Brighton managed to respond with a goal from Carlos Barlebo to make it 3-2 after another Chelsea defensive error. Yet, Palmer kept pushing, scoring his fourth goal just before the break.
In the second half, Chelsea could have extended their lead, but Jackson’s shot was cleared off the line, and Palmer missed another opportunity to equal the record for the most goals in a single Premier League game, firing wide shortly after.
With this victory, Chelsea has won its last four matches across all competitions and climbed to fourth place in the Premier League, just one point behind Manchester City and Arsenal, and two points behind Liverpool.
Manager Enzo Maresca praised Palmer’s performance, stating, “He’s a special player, a simple guy, a humble guy. He doesn’t need to tell anyone how good he is because it’s clear to see. Scoring four goals is outstanding, but I also told Cole he could have easily added two or three more, which shows his hunger and ambition.”