By Clare Lovell
LONDON (Reuters) -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.
Howls of derision from the Brighton supporters greeted their former goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez who came out of his goal in a scramble and missed the ball, giving Rutter a free header.
But Chelsea, now the league’s top scorers this season, turned on the pressure and Palmer hit the post and had a goal disallowed for offside before his scoring spree.
The first after 20 minutes came from a Nicolas Jackson interception. The Senegal striker raced on goal before squaring the ball to Palmer who tapped home.
Palmer’s second came from the spot when he sent Bart Verbruggen the wrong way after Jadon Sancho was brought down in the penalty area.
The former Manchester City trainee has been dubbed “ice Cole” and he showed his cool once again with his 10th successful penalty in 10 attempts since joining Chelsea last season.
Palmer completed his hat-trick on the half hour with an elegant free kick from some 30 metres out which curled perfectly beyond Verbruggen into the top corner.Carlos Baleba pulled a goal back for Brighton in the 32nd minute after a second error from Sanchez, who fluffed a clearance.
Palmer made it four shortly before halftime getting on the end of a perfectly weighted Jadon Sancho assist.
The rampant Palmer, 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.
“A very good win, we could have done better in some moments of the game but overall we deserved to win.” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told the BBC. “Overall a fantastic day for me.”
“He (Palmer) scored four, I told him he could have scored two or three more. I knew Cole from years ago at City, he is a top player and just has to continue in the same way.”
The second half involved less mayhem and greater defensive security but there were still chances at both ends and some improved goalkeeping as well as Adam Webster’s last gasp interventions kept Chelsea from running amok.
Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler said mistakes cost his side.
“We scored but afterwards we had too many individual mistakes and with too many individual mistakes you cannot win at Stamford Bridge. We should quickly learn from this,” the German said.
The result lifted Chelsea to third in the table and ended Brighton’s unbeaten start to the season.
(Reporting by Clare LovellEditing by Toby Davis and Christian Radnedge)
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