On a cold Monday night at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea produced their most dominant performance of the 2023/24 season. While the campaign had been a rollercoaster of inconsistency, this specific night belonged to one man: Cole Palmer. In a display of pure clinical efficiency, the 21-year-old orchestrated a masterclass that left the Everton defense chasing shadows and rewrote the record books.
⚽ The Goal Timeline: A Night of Perfection
| Time | Event | Scorer | Description |
| 13' | Goal | Cole Palmer | A stunning nutmeg on Branthwaite followed by a curling left-foot strike. |
| 18' | Goal | Cole Palmer | A poacher’s header after Pickford parried Nicolas Jackson's initial shot. |
| 29' | Goal | Cole Palmer | Completed a "perfect" hat-trick by lobbing Pickford from 40 yards with his right foot. |
| 44' | Goal | Nicolas Jackson | A brilliant swivel and volley at the near post from a Cucurella cross. |
| 64' | Goal | Cole Palmer | Slotted home a penalty after a heated debate with teammates over taker duties. |
| 90' | Goal | Alfie Gilchrist | The academy graduate thrashed home a rebound for his first professional goal. |
📋 Vital Match Stats & Historic Feats
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The Perfect Hat-Trick: Cole Palmer secured a "perfect" hat-trick (left foot, header, right foot) in just 29 minutes—the earliest ever recorded by a Chelsea player in the Premier League.
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Golden Boot Race: This four-goal haul took Palmer to 20 league goals for the season, drawing him level with Erling Haaland at the time.
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Home Comforts: Palmer became the first Chelsea player to score in seven consecutive Premier League home appearances.
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Academy Pride: Alfie Gilchrist, a lifelong Chelsea fan and Cobham graduate, provided the night's most emotional moment by scoring his first goal for the club in front of the Shed End.
🛡️ Starting Lineups
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto (Gilchrist 88'), Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke (Chukwuemeka 72'), Palmer (Casadei 80'), Mudryk (Chilwell 80'); Jackson (Washington 88').
Everton (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Coleman (Patterson 46', Godfrey 90+2'), Tarkowski, Branthwaite (Keane 57'), Mykolenko; Young, Onana (Gomes 46'), Garner (Harrison 46'), McNeil; Doucoure; Beto.
Official Match Resources
Premier League: Chelsea 6-0 Everton - Official Match Center & Opta Stats
Chelsea FC: Official Match Report - Palmer Hits Four in Record Win
The Guardian: Match Analysis - Palmer Orchestrates Toffees’ Humiliation
Sky Sports: Highlights and Expert Reaction - The Cold Palmer Masterclass
BBC Sport: Player Ratings and Key Moments from Stamford Bridge
The Final Word
This match served as the ultimate proof of Cole Palmer's transformational impact on Chelsea. Beyond the four goals, it was his movement and vision that unlocked a struggling side. While the post-match talk focused briefly on a penalty-spot disagreement between teammates, the overriding narrative was the birth of a new superstar at the Bridge.
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