Cole Palmer moved clear of some Chelsea legends on Saturday as he scored his fourth hat trick for the team, setting a new club record in his side’s 3-1 win over Wolves.
Tolu Arokodare scored a consolation for the league’s bottom side in the second-half but it wasn’t enough with Palmer’s first-half strikes proving more than enough for Liam Rosenior’s side.
The first-half treble against Wolves was Palmer’s fourth for the club in the Premier League in just three years and saw him better the tallies of Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard who all managed three during their long careers in west London.
Palmer scored twice from the spot before a well-taken finish inside the box in the 38th-minute secured the hat trick, the win on the day, and the record for the former Manchester City forward.
It proved to be an afternoon to remember in more ways than one for Palmer whose hat trick ranked as Chelsea’s third fastest in Premier League history (38 minutes). He also holds the record for the fastest (29 minutes vs. Everton) and second fastest (31 minutes vs. Brighton).
It also saw Palmer become the first player in Premier League history to register three first-half hat tricks.
And it didn’t stop there as Palmer overtook John Terry (41) into second for most goals scored by English players for Chelsea in the Premier League (44), leaving him chasing Lampard, who managed a whopping 147.
Palmer joined Chelsea from Man City in 2023, registering 44 goals in 84 appearances since becoming the star man at Stamford Bridge.
There have been reports out of west London in recent weeks that Palmer is eyeing a return to Manchester after feeling homesick in the capital, but boss Liam Rosenior has since made light of those.
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And speaking after the Wolves win, Rosenior talked up his star forward, labelling the hat trick hero ‘unstoppable’ after a record-breaking afternoon.
“When he’s fully firing and feeling good he’s [Palmer] a magnificent footballer,” Rosenior said.
“When you’re at this club with these demands and scrutiny, which I’m starting to learn myself, you have to block out the noise and remember what a good player you are.
“We know what a world-class player he is. He’s played a lot of football over the last year with not much rest. When he’s at his best, he’s unstoppable. I’m delighted to be working with him.”
“He loves being here. Hopefully now he can really enjoy his football between now and the end of the season.”
Information from ESPN’s Global Research and PA contributed to this report.