“How greedy” - Chelsea teammate pokes fun at Cole Palmer after 4-goal haul in win over Brighton
Chelsea forward Noni Madueke has poked fun at Cole Palmer after the latter's four-goal haul against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, September 28. Palmer was in full flow as the Blues secured a 4-2 win over the Seagulls at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
It was Brighton who took the lead through Georginio Rutter in the seventh minute, after Robert Sanchez failed to claim a high ball. However, the 22-year-old would turn the tide with a quick-fire hat-trick.
Palmer got the equalizer in the 21st minute, slotting home Madueke's pull-back. The London giants soon won a penalty after Jadon Sancho was fouled in the box. Palmer stepped up in the 28th minute to give Chelsea the lead.
However, the pick of the lot arrived in the 31st minute, when the Englishman scored a stunning free kick to complete his hat-trick. Robert Sanchez, though, earned no admirers among the Blues faithful after his error allowed Carlos Baleba to pull one back for Brighton & Hove Albion three minutes later.
However, Cole Palmer took matters into his own hands, scoring his fourth in the 41st minute from a Sancho pass to reinstate Chelsea's two-goal lead. In the process, he became the first player in Premier League history to score four goals in the first half.
Madueke took to Instagram after the game, sharing a picture of him celebrating with Cole Palmer, with a cheery message.
"How greedy!" wrote Madueke.
Palmer could have picked up his fifth of the game after the break, but missed a great chance in the 56th minute with his weaker right foot.
Is Cole Palmer Chelsea's most important player?
Cole Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 and took little time to warm up to his new surroundings. He was a rare shining light for the Blues in a turbulent 2023/24 campaign.
The Englishman finished the season with 27 goals and 15 assists from 48 games across competitions, excelling under Mauricio Pochettino. The London giants opted to remove the Argentinean from the hot seat at Stamford Bridge this summer and installed Enzo Maresca as his replacement.
Palmer enjoyed a decent start to the new season under the Italian manager, but took his game to a whole new level on Saturday against Brighton. He has now registered six goals and four assists from eight games across competitions for Chelsea this season.
On Saturday, he became the second player after Frank Lampard to score four goals in two different games in the Premier League for the Blues. Lampard's first four-goal haul came against Derby County in 2008 and he repeated the feat against Aston Villa in 2010.
Palmer's first four-fer was against Everton last season. There's no doubt that he is, now, the most important piece of Maresca's puzzle.