Palmer’s beaver-trick buries Everton

Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer scored four goals, including a hat-trick inside the first 29 minutes, as his side thrashed sorry Everton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Monday.

Palmer opened the scoring in the 13th minute by curling a beautiful strike into the bottom corner after nutmegging Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and playing a one-two with teammate Nicolas Jackson.

He doubled the lead five minutes later, heading in a rebound after a Jackson shot had been saved by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford.

And the 21-year-old completed his hat-trick midway through the first half in style after he intercepted a poor pass from Pickford before lobbing the England goalkeeper from 40 yards out.

Jackson then inflicted more doom on Everton just before the break by volleying in Marc Cucurella’s cut-back, before Palmer added his fourth from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute.

Chelsea scored a sixth in the 90th minute when substitute Alfie Gilchrist netted his first goal for the club from a tight angle.

Palmer’s efforts saw him become the first player in the club’s history to score in seven consecutive home matches at Stamford Bridge.

He is also the fifth player to score multiple hat-tricks for Chelsea in the Premier League (after Didier Drogba, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Frank Lampard, and Eden Hazard).

However, he is the first player to achieve two hat-tricks in a single Premier League season.

The win helped Chelsea stretch their Premier League unbeaten run to eight matches and are three points off seventh-placed Manchester United, who currently sit in the Premier League’s last European spot, having played one game fewer.

As for Everton, they were playing in their first match since receiving a two-point deduction for a second breach of Premier League financial rules.

They are currently in 16th place, two points above the relegation zone.
(BBC)