Cole Palmer made Premier League history as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 in a six-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.
2024/2025 Premier League
4-2
Match Report
Palmer became the first player to score four goals before half-time in a single Premier League game, helping Enzo Maresca’s side record their fourth straight victory in all competitions.
Brighton took an early lead through Georginio Rutter's header, but were powerless as Palmer took command of the contest.
His remarkable quadruple came in the space of 20 minutes - including a penalty and free-kick - with Carlos Baleba's strike to make it 3-2 swiftly cancelled out by Chelsea's talisman.
Nicolas Jackson and Palmer went close after the break for the hosts, who also had a Marc Cucurella goal disallowed for offside, but they held out for another victory.
The Blues climb to third place, a point behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal, while Brighton drop to eighth after suffering their first defeat of the season.
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
Data Debrief: History-making Palmer does the damage once more
Palmer completed his third Premier League hat-trick - the joint-most by any Chelsea player along with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard - in the space of only nine minutes and 45 seconds.
The Blues forward also hit the post, was denied by the offside flag and then slotted a decent opportunity wide after the break, so we could have been saluting the first player to score six or more goals in a single Premier League game.
His fourth goal was set up by Sancho, who became the third Chelsea player after Eden Hazard (2012) and Cesc Fabregas (2014) to provide an assist in each of his first three Premier League appearances.
As for Brighton, they are now without a victory in each of their last nine Premier League visits to London, since a 3-0 win over Arsenal in May 2023.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
7' Rutter gives visitors the lead as Sanchez mistakes! Chelsea 0-1 Brighton
15' Attempt stopped! Welbeck's pass saved by Sanchez
19' Match Event for Chelsea vs Brighton
21' Palmer equalizes for Blues as Jackson assists! Chelsea 1-1 Brighton
23' Sancho's goal disallowed as Madueke is offside
28' Two for Palmer as he scores penalty! Chelsea 2-1 Brighton
30' Estupinan booked yellow
31' Hat trick! Palmer nets stunning free kick to extend lead! Chelsea 3-1 Brighton
34' Sanchez mistakes again! Baleba scores! Chelsea 3-2 Brighton
41' 4 goal thriller for Palmer as Sancho assists! Chelsea 4-2 Brighton
44' GREAT SAVE! Sanchez denies Brighton's shot in the box
49' Jackson misses great chance as his shot cleared by Webster
52' Palmer's long shot wide out
56' Brighton's mistake not seized by Palmer as his shot wide out
65' Ayari down in the box but no penalty
69' OFFSIDE! Cucurella's goal is disallowed
76' Jackson's right footed shot in the box wide out
93' Highlight from Chelsea vs Brighton
Line-ups
Chelsea XI: Marc Cucurella, Sancho, Robert Sánchez, Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana, Noni Madueke, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, Nicolas Jackson
Subs: T.Adarabioyo, Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Felix, Pedro Neto, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Filip Jørgensen, Roméo Lavia, Renato Veiga
Brighton XI: Webster, Welbeck, Dunk, Pervis Estupiñán, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Kaoru Mitoma, Georginio Rutter, Mats Wieffer, Bart Verbruggen, Carlos Baleba, Jack Hinshelwood
Subs: Steele, Igor, Jakub Moder, Tariq Lamptey, Julio Enciso, Evan Ferguson, Imari Samuels, Yasin Ayari, Yankuba Minteh