LONDON — Chelsea's Cole Palmer scored four first-half goals, including a stunning long-range free kick and a penalty, in a breathless 4-2 Premier League victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
Goalkeeping errors at both ends, high defensive lines and speedy counter-attacks contributed to a thrilling encounter with Brighton's French forward Georginio Rutter putting the visitors ahead in the seventh minute before 22-year-old Palmer's 11-minute hat-trick. Carlos Baleba pulled a goal back for Brighton in the 32nd minute after a second error from former Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez, before Palmer made it four shortly before halftime from a perfectly weighted Jadon Sancho assist.
Cole Palmer goals vs Brighton
¡APARECIÓ PALMER!
Chelsea aprovecha un error y Cole Palmer marca para igualar el marcadorChelsea 1-1 Brighton#LigaPremierTD pic.twitter.com/ZlxDjXqRPq
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) September 28, 2024
¡PALMER REMONTA EL MARCADOR!
Desde los once pasos, Cole Palmer pone en ventaja al ChelseaChelsea 2-1 Brighton#LigaPremierTD pic.twitter.com/0A61bYZQX8
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) September 28, 2024
OH MY COLE PALMER.
AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING GOAL COMPLETES A HAT TRICK IN 30 MINUTES. pic.twitter.com/4oQaHjAv7u— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 28, 2024
FOUR GOALS IN 40 MINUTES FOR COLE PALMER.
ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. pic.twitter.com/4jvp0zhPDq— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 28, 2024
4 - Cole Palmer is the first player in Premier League history to score four goals before half-time in a single match. Cold. #CHEBHA pic.twitter.com/7dNiM1Ndd7
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 28, 2024
The rampant Palmer, who also hit the post in the first half, became the first player to score four goals in the first half of a Premier League match and he should have added a fifth in the second half but put the ball wide with only keeper Bart Verbruggen to beat.
The result lifted Chelsea to third in the table and ended Brighton's unbeaten start to the season.
(Reporting by Clare Lovell, Editing by Toby Davis)
