Cole Palmer sets Chelsea record after hat-trick vs Everton
Cole Palmer stole the show once again for Chelsea as the Blues demolished Sean Dyche's Everton 6-0 at Stamford Bridge on Monday, April 15. The England international scored four goals, with Nicolas Jackson and Alfie Gilchrist netting the other two.
Palmer bagged a perfect hat-trick in the space of 16 minutes and also became the first Chelsea player to score in seven successive Premier League games. The 21-year-old also scored hat-tricks in back-to-back home games in the Premier League.
With their 6-0 hammering of Everton, Chelsea's hopes for a European spot remain alive despite their inconsistency across the season. Mauricio Pochettino's side find themselves ninth in the table with 47 points in 31 games. However, they trail sixth and seventh-placed Newcastle United and Manchester United by just three points with a game in hand.
Palmer has been the bright spark for the west London giants in an otherwise forgettable season. The Englishman was signed from Manchester City last summer in a deal worth £40 million and has been exceptional since.
The versatile attacking midfielder was only a squad player for Pep Guardiola's side before his switch last summer. He only managed six goals and produced two assists in 41 appearances for the Cityzens.
Since his switch to Chelsea, Palmer has scored 25 goals and produced 13 assists in 41 appearances across competitions. With 20 league goals to his name, the 21-year-old is also level with Erling Haaland in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino slams his players for their behaviour against Everton
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino hit out at his players despite his side's 6-0 demolition of Everton. The Blues came up with arguably their best showing this season but the day was somewhat spoiled by an argument among players regarding a penalty kick.
Noni Madueke won the spot kick and argued with Nicolas Jackson over who would take the penalty. Conor Gallagher had to interfere.
Pochettino did not take the incident kindly. Following the game, he slammed the players for how they behaved on the pitch and insisted that the players still have a lot to learn. He said:
“Next time they’re all out. It’s not a joke. It’s impossible after a performance like this to have this behaviour. We have to learn a lot if we want to be a great team," Pochettino said (via journalist Fabrizio Romano's X).
Cole Palmer eventually took the shot and is now just one penalty kick behind Frank Lampard's tally of 10 Premier League goals from the spot in a season (2009-10).