Cole Palmer stole the show once again for Chelsea on Monday night, bagging four goals as he led his side to an emphatic 6-0 victory over Everton. The victory sees the Blues move within touching distance of the European places, much to the relief of Mauricio Pochettino.
Palmer opened the scoring after 13 minutes with a neat curling effort following an intricate one-two with Nicolas Jackson on the edge of the penalty area. The playmaker then doubled his side’s lead five minutes later when nodding home from close range after the ball was parried his way.
Two then became three in the 29th minute when Palmer lifted a remarkable chip over the head of Jordan Pickford from 35 yards out following a misplaced pass from the Everton goalkeeper. Jackson managed to get in on the act on the cusp of half-time with a smart volley on the turn.
Palmer then tucked home a penalty in the 64th minute to put the icing on the cake after an embarrassing episode that marred the emphatic win, with Alfie Gilchrist raising spirits again before full-time when thundering home his first goal for his boyhood side. Express Sport takes a look at four key talking points from Chelsea’s masterclass…
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Record-breaking Palmer
Chelsea have splashed the cash over the past few years, though they may struggle to strike a better deal than signing Palmer from City for £45million. The playmaker has exceeded expectations at Stamford Bridge and continues to make history, becoming the first Chelsea player to score in seven successive home league appearances.
Embarrassing egos
Just as everything looked rosy at Stamford Bridge, egos took their toll and took the sting out of the atmosphere on the night in an embarrassing fashion. After Palmer was brought down inside the penalty area, Noni Madueke decided that he would take aim from 12 yards. Jackson was left furious and began staking his claim as to why he should step up before Palmer snatched the ball from the squabbling pair and enhanced his record from the spot – with Conor Gallagher showing his leadership by insisting that his free-scoring teammate would take the penalty.
Carragher sparks POTY debate
Ex-Liverpool star Jamie Carragher believes that Palmer could be in the running to be named the Premier League’s Player of the Year. The 21-year-old has scored 20 league goals so far this season, matching City’s Erling Haaland, and could be asserting himself as one of the frontrunners for the award. Carragher wrote on X: “Cole Palmer was nailed on for YPOTY, how close is he to POTY?!!”
Pickford’s worrying form continues
Pickford has been a shoo-in for Gareth Southgate over the past few years, but his recent form has to be a cause for concern for the England manager. After a howler against Belgium during the international break, the ex-Sunderland shot-stopper made a further two errors against Chelsea – with his parry from Jackson’s shot handing Palmer his second goal before his wayward pass allowed the No. 20 to bag his hat-trick.
