Mohamed Magdy  

28 i

Chelsea's Cole Palmer scores record

Cole Palmer became the first player to score four goals in the first half of a Premier League match during Chelsea's extraordinary 4-2 win over Brighton on Saturday, causing coach Enzo Maresca to describe the forward as the best player in the division.

The 22-year-old scored four times in a devastating 20-minute spell against the south coast club as Chelsea bounced back from Georginio Rutter's opener.

"I should have had five or six [goals]," Palmer told the BBC. "When I missed the first chance I was upset but with the way they played and their high line I felt we'd get more chances.

"The manager set up a good game plan, we knew how to attack them with first-time passes in behind. Three points is what we needed and that is what we got."

Maresca agreed Palmer could have scored more, but was full of praise for his star player.

"He scored four, but he also could have scored two or three more," Maresca said. "It's important he stays hungry, ambitious, and I know him from many years ago with the under-23s at City and with the first team.

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