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Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer scored four goals, including a hat-trick in the first 30 minutes, as they hammered Everton 6-0 on Monday to maintain their push for a European berth and leave the ragged visitors still hovering above the relegation zone.
Palmer clipped in his first after 13 minutes, headed a second after 18 then cleverly chipped in a third after intercepting goalkeeper Jordan Pickford‘s clearance.
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Nicolas Jackson made it 4-0 just before half-time, then Palmer, who got a hat trick in the 4-3 home win over Manchester United on April 4, converted a penalty after 64 minutes having had to wrestle the ball from bickering team mates.
That took him alongside Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 20, while his tally of 23 in all competitions makes him the first Chelsea player to reach the 20-mark since Eden Hazard in 2018-19.
Chelsea were in total command at Stamford Bridge and young substitute Alfie Gilchrist smashed home their sixth goal in the final minute moments after coming on. Chelsea remain ninth on 47 points with games in hand on all the teams above them.
The result extended a depressing few days for Everton. Just hours before kickoff, the club lodged an appeal against a two-point deduction for a second breach of the Premier League financial rules.
Everton were docked two points last week for overspending in a three-year spell up to the end of the 2022-23 season. It was a second deduction this season for Everton, who had six points removed — reduced from 10 following an appeal — for breaching spending limits from 2019-20 to the 2021-22 season.