LONDON (AP) — Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer has become the first player in the 32-year history of the Premier League to score four goals in the first half of a match.
The England international’s flurry of goals came in a 20-minute span against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as Chelsea built a 4-2 lead by halftime.
Palmer scored in the 21st, 28th, 31st and 41st minutes.
No player has ever scored so many goals before halftime in a single match, according to Opta, which provides statistics to the Premier League.
He also had a four-goal haul for Chelsea last season in a 6-0 win over Everton in April, also at home.
Palmer joins Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in scoring at least three goals in a game three times for Chelsea in the league.
The game against Brighton was only Palmer’s 39th league appearance for Chelsea after joining from Manchester City in the offseason of 2023.
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