“He had a good chance of winning the Golden Boot.”
Palmer was simply sensational, scoring a hat-trick within the first 29 minutes and adding his 20th Premier League goal of the season in the second half, moving him level with Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
That's all the more remarkable given that it predates Palmer. Transfer from Manchester City to Chelsea The 21-year-old hasn't scored a goal in a league match this summer.
Seven months from now, the England star could be on track to finish as the division's top scorer.
From super sub to main man
back in november Palmer told BBC Sport. He moved from his boyhood club to west London in search of “regular game time”.
He made 25 appearances for Manchester City last season, but started just seven. In contrast, he has played in 43 games this season and has already scored 25 goals.
The £42m move appears to have paid off for both Palmer and his employers. He is a key part of Mauricio Pochettino's side and is the Blues' highest league goalscorer in a season since Diego Costa's 20 in 2016-17.
Chelsea still have seven league games left.
Chelsea manager Pochettino said on the BBC's Match of the Day: “I expect him to perform well, but he has performed well and has done a great job for the team. “There is,” he said. “I'm happy he scored four goals.”
How Palmer punished Everton's defense
Palmer scored his first three goals with his left foot, head and right foot, completing the fastest Premier League 'perfect' hat-trick since Gracenote began recording data in the 2008-09 season.
He took the lead in the 13th minute with a beautiful shot past Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and into the bottom corner after a one-two with teammate Nicholas Jackson.
He scored his second goal five minutes later, heading in the rebound after Jackson's shot was saved by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford.
His hat-trick was completed midway through the first half by intercepting a poor pass from Pickford and firing a shot past the England goalkeeper from 40 yards out.
After the restart, he earned a penalty and calmly added his fourth goal from the spot.
“Everything happens so quickly,” Palmer told Sky Sports. “The first one was my favorite. My right leg was a bit of a swinger!”
Even if Palmer is hinting at some luck, his four-goal tally means the Mancunian currently boasts some pretty formidable stats.
- Palmer became the first Chelsea player to score a first-half hat-trick in the Premier League and the second player to score a hat-trick in consecutive Premier League home games for the club, after Didier Drogba in May and August. 2010.
- He became the first Chelsea player to score in seven consecutive Premier League appearances at Stamford Bridge.
- He is the third Chelsea player to score 20 or more goals in his debut season in the Premier League, after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (23 goals in 2000/01) and Diego Costa (20 goals in 2014/15). Become a player.
- And he has converted all nine penalties he has taken in the Premier League, with Yaya Toure (11/11) the only player in the competition's history to have a 100% conversion rate from the spot.
Who can challenge Palmer for the Golden Boot?
The obvious answer is Erling Haaland, who had a record-breaking season last season, scoring 36 goals in 35 league games. But Haaland is in poor form, at least for him, having scored just two goals in his last eight games for City and Norway.
Ollie Watkins has scored one fewer goal than Palmer and Haaland. His 19 goals are tied for the most in Premier League history for his club Aston Villa, equaling Christian Benteke's record from the 2012-13 season.
Three goals behind the leader is Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who has won the Golden Boot three times. Salah's 17 goals means the Egyptian is level with Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke and Newcastle's Alexander Isak.
Tottenham's Son Heung-min and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen are outsiders with 15 points each.
Palmer is the league's most prolific goalscorer, with 11 goals in the last six games in all competitions. Who would oppose him?
“Palmer of England?” – What you said
mark: So, raise your hand – who nominated Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer for the Golden Boot? No?
invoice: Can Southgate afford to keep Palmer at home? Will Palmer join Foden and Bellingham in midfield, with Rice slotting in behind them?
Andrew: Cole Palmer could be Harry Kane's next successor in the England squad. He is very calm when he scores a goal. Oh, he can also score penalties.
Josh: So Cole Palmer of England, right?
Nick: Everyone is talking about building an England team around Phil Foden…when are you talking about building an England team around Cole Palmer who is doing it in a team without quality like Man City? Will it start?