Cole Palmer hit a perfect first-half hat-trick and then struck a penalty as Chelsea hammered sorry Everton 6-0 on Monday Night Football to move to within three points of the European qualifying spots.
2023/2024 Premier League
6-0
Match Report
It was a sensational display from the 21-year-old, who made it back-to-back trebles at his home ground in style, with a silky opener followed by a poacher's second and a clinical lob with his weaker right foot after Jordan Pickford's gift of a pass to him.
It was the fastest Premier League hat-trick by a Chelsea player and means he's also scored in seven games in a row at this stadium - another Blues record. England assistant boss Steve Holland was watching on and the question will not be whether this young star goes to the Euros but where he starts in the England XI.
He certainly has the hunger for goals - Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson were squabbling over who would take the second-half spot-kick but Palmer marched in to take the ball and tuck away his 19th Premier League goal of the season. Jackson had to settle for his well-taken swivel and shot at the end of the first half.
That clash between the Chelsea players was an ugly one on an otherwise ideal night for Mauricio Pochettino's men, which was capped by homegrown starlet Alfie Gilchrist slamming in his first goal for the club in stoppage time. They now turn their focus to a potentially season-defining FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City on Saturday at Wembley.
It was an all-too-familiar story for Everton, though, who spurned a glorious chance before they were undone at the other end. Beto's early volley over the bar from three yards out was flagged offside but that would surely have been overturned by VAR had it gone in. The Everton striker later had a header chalked off for straying beyond the backline.
While Chelsea are looking up and have West Ham, Manchester United and Newcastle within reach, Everton stay two places and two points above the drop zone. A nervy finish to the campaign awaits, with their appeal against their second points deduction lodged.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
9' Unbelievable! What a miss from Beto
13' GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Everton (Cole Palmer)
15' Palmer misses good chance
18' GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Everton (Cole Palmer)
29' GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Everton (Cole Palmer)
35' OFFSIDE! Beto’s goal disallowed
44' GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Everton (Nicolas Jackson)
54' Palmer's shot stopped
64' Penalty Goal! Chelsea 5-0 Everton (Cole Palmer)
74' Mudryk's shot too straight
90' GOAL! Chelsea 6-0 Everton (Alfie Gilchrist)
Line-ups
Chelsea XI: Thiago Silva, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Conor Gallagher, Djordje Petrovic, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Moisés Caicedo, Malo Gusto, Nicolas Jackson
Subs: Marcus Bettinelli, Chilwell, Benoît Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei, Alfie Gilchrist, Tyrique George, Kiano Dyer, Deivid Washington
Everton XI: Young, Coleman, Pickford, Doucoure, Tarkowski, Vitaliy Mykolenko, McNeil, Garner, Beto, Amadou Onana, Jarrad Branthwaite
Subs: Godfrey, Keane, Andre Gomes, Arnaut Danjuma, Jack Harrison, João Virgínia, Nathan Patterson, Lewis Warrington, Chermiti