Palmer makes Premier League history with four first-half goals for Chelsea

LONDON (AP) — Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer has become the first player in the Premier League's 32-year history to score four goals in the first half of the game.

The England international's flurry of goals came in the space of 20 minutes in Chelsea's 4-2 win over Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Palmer scored in the 21st, 28th, 31st and 41st minutes, including a penalty and a long-range free kick to complete his hat trick.

According to Opta, which provides statistics for the Premier League, no player has ever scored so many goals before half-time in a single game.

“I should have had five or six,” Palmer said.

“When I missed my first chance I was upset, but with the way they played and their high line I felt we would get more chances.”

Palmer also scored four goals for Chelsea last season in a 6-0 win over Everton in April, also at home.

The playmaker, along with Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, scored at least three goals in a game for Chelsea in the league on three occasions.

The game against Brighton was only Palmer's 39th league appearance for Chelsea after joining from Manchester City in the 2023 off-season.

He scored 22 goals last season, second only to City's Erling Haaland (27). He has already scored six goals this season under Chelsea's youngest coach Enzo Maresca.

Maresca coached Palmer when both were at City. At the time, Palmer was playing for City's under-23 team.

“You would have to be blind not to see things like that with Cole,” Maresca said. “I said he scored four goals but he could have scored more. I always say, be ambitious and hungry to score more goals.”

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