Chelsea 4-2 Brighton. Cole Palmer made history by becoming the first player to score four goals in the first half of a Premier League match as Chelsea dismantled Brighton to move up to third in the table.
The 22-year-old’s brilliant performance at Stamford Bridge was part of an exhilarating contest in which Palmer also hit the post and had another goal disallowed before halftime. Chelsea’s fast-paced attack capitalized on Brighton’s commitment to a high defensive line, exposing them time and again.
Brighton did manage to score twice in the first half, both goals stemming from mistakes by Chelsea’s former Brighton goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez. However, after an early header from Georginio Rutter put the visitors ahead, Palmer took over, delivering a dazzling individual performance.
Palmer came close twice before finding the back of the net. First, he hit the post and then scored from an offside position, all within 138 breathless seconds. His breakthrough came when he finished clinically from a Nicolas Jackson pass.
The England international then coolly converted a penalty—his 10th successful spot-kick for Chelsea—after Jadon Sancho was fouled. Palmer completed his hat-trick in just 10 minutes with a stunning 25-yard free kick into the top corner. He added a fourth goal shortly after Brighton’s Carlos Baleba took advantage of another Sanchez error to give the visitors brief hope.
Chelsea, who recently scored six against Wolves, were once again lethal going forward. Despite Brighton’s insistence on maintaining their high defensive line, they struggled to contain Chelsea’s relentless attack. The defeat was a first for Brighton’s young manager Fabian Hurzeler, whose refusal to adjust his tactics seemed overly ambitious, if not naive.
The second half saw fewer fireworks, though Palmer had a chance for a fifth goal, firing wide on a clear opportunity. In a summer that saw Chelsea spend £200 million and sell key players like Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher, the decision to hand Palmer and Jackson long-term nine-year contracts could prove to be smart investments.
Amid early-season turmoil and reports of internal power struggles, manager Enzo Maresca has transformed Chelsea’s play, with Palmer emerging as the key figure in their attacking setup. Since joining from Manchester City, Palmer has already scored three Premier League hat-tricks, more than any other Chelsea player, and became the first player to net 20 league goals in a calendar year for the club since Diego Costa’s 21 in 2016.
Beyond his own scoring exploits, Palmer’s playmaking was also crucial, as he twice set up Jackson for chances in the second half. Chelsea’s fluidity and attacking prowess have improved, with Maresca making only nine changes to his starting lineups this season—fewer than Manchester City, Newcastle, and Brighton.
As the match ended, Chelsea found themselves just one point behind the league leaders. However, Sanchez’s errors in goal raise questions about whether the goalkeeping position needs further attention moving forward.
source – BBC