In the Premier League, Chelsea's Cole Palmer creates a remarkable record by scoring an astounding four goals before the halfway point.
Following a equalizer for Chelsea in the 21st minute, Palmer converted a penalty and an outstanding free-kick within the next 10 minutes, completing his hat-trick. He added his fourth just before half time with a first-time finish from Sancho's pass.
Four other players have netted four goals in a single half of a Premier League game, but the 22-year-old Palmer is the first to accomplish this feat within the first half.
He also had a few more opportunities during that time, hitting the post with one attempt and scoring from an offside position with another. Later in the second half, Palmer had a chance to score his fifth, one-on-one with Brighton's goalkeeper, but his shot went wide.
Palmer commented on his achievement in an interview with Sky Sports post-match, "The lads just told me about it then. I'm really happy about it. I was pissed off when I missed that chance in the second half, it was early on, around the 55th or 56th minute, so I should have scored that."
Georginio Rutter gave Brighton an early lead at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea failed to clear the ball, allowing the Frenchman to head in despite pressure from keeper Robert Sánchez and defender Marc Cucurella.
However, Palmer's brilliance quickly dampened Brighton's hopes of building on their early lead.
Palmer opened the scoring by linking up with Nicolas Jackson, followed by a penalty after a foul on Sancho. Palmer was inching closer to another record, having the most penalties scored in the Premier League without missing, currently at 10, one short of Yaya Touré’s mark.
A beautiful, 25-yard free-kick topped off Palmer's hat-trick. Subsequently, another defensive error from Chelsea led to Brighton scoring, making it 3-2. Carlos Barlebo capitalized on a loose pass from Sánchez and fired into the net.
The frenetic first-half scoring was not over yet, with Palmer scoring his fourth from Sancho's pass with a first-time finish. Chelsea had more chances to extend their lead in the second half, with Jackson having a shot cleared off the line by Adam Webster, and Palmer missing out on equaling the record for most goals in a Premier League game when he shot wide soon after.
Chelsea have now won their last four games in all competitions, moving up to fourth in the league table, just one point behind Manchester City and Arsenal, and two behind Liverpool.
Manager Enzo Maresca praised Palmer's performance, "He's a special player, a simple guy, a humble guy. He doesn't need to tell people how good he is because you can see it clearly. For sure, scoring four goals is a great performance. But I told Cole, he scored four, he could have scored two or three more, so it's good that he continues to be hungry and ambitious."
Palmer's four goals in the first half broke the record for the most goals scored in a single half of a Premier League game by a player, surpassing previous achievements in the sport. During the game, Palmer showed his prowess in football, scoring one goal from a direct free-kick, a common technique in the sport.
