Cole Palmer scored a 37-minute first-half hat-trick as Chelsea secured a 3-1 Premier League victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, with two penalties and a close-range finish putting the visitors in full control before the break.
The 23-year-old forward converted twice from the spot before adding a third from open play to give Chelsea a 3-0 lead, continuing his strong start under head coach Liam Rosenior.
The goals also ended Palmer’s nine-game run without scoring from open play.
Penalties set the tone
Chelsea were awarded their first penalty when Matt Doherty caught Joao Pedro as the forward was moving away from goal inside the area. Palmer sent goalkeeper Jose Sa the wrong way, placing his effort calmly to the left.
A second spot-kick followed soon after when Yerson Mosquera pushed Pedro to the ground as he attempted to chase a loose ball into the box. Palmer again stepped up, this time finishing to Sa’s right to double Chelsea’s advantage.
The England international completed his hat-trick shortly before half-time, arriving in the area to finish from close range after a driving run and cut-back from Marc Cucurella.
Records and response
The treble marked Palmer’s fourth Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea, the most by any player for the club in the competition. He also became the first English player to score a first-half hat-trick in three separate Premier League matches.
The goals took Palmer’s total tally for Chelsea to 51 across all competitions, moving him ahead of former players Gus Poyet and Tore Andre Flo despite featuring in significantly fewer matches.
Wolves managed a response in the second half through Tolu Arokodare, who pulled a goal back to reduce the deficit. However, Chelsea maintained control and saw out the game without major difficulty.
