EPL: Cole Palmer's four-goal first half leads Chelsea to historic win over Brighton

Chelsea`s English midfielder Cole Palmer (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his and Chelsea`s third goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge in London. Pic/AFP

In an extraordinary match, English footballer Cole Palmer delivered a masterclass performance, scoring four goals before halftime and leading Chelsea to a 4-2 victory over Brighton, marking a historic achievement in the Premier League.

Accoding to Goal.com, the game began unfavourably for Chelsea when, just seven minutes in, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made a costly error. Attempting to claim a loose ball after Brighton's high press, Sanchez left his goal wide open, allowing Georginio Rutter to win the header and score, putting Brighton ahead.

Chelsea responded quickly, with Palmer hitting the post and then scoring within 60 seconds, only for his goal to be ruled offside.

Undeterred, Palmer finally found the net after Nicolas Jackson capitalized on an Adam Webster mistake to set him up.

The drama continued as Jadon Sancho had his first Chelsea goal disallowed by VAR in the 23rd minute.

However, just three minutes later, Sancho won a penalty, which Palmer confidently converted. Palmer completed his hat-trick on the half-hour mark with a spectacular 25-yard free-kick, showcasing his exceptional skill.

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Brighton, resilient as ever, struck back within five minutes. Carlos Baleba scored after another Sanchez error, reducing Chelsea's lead but Palmer wasn't finished yet, securing his fourth goal before halftime with a powerful low shot into the bottom corner.

The second half saw the pace of the game slow down, a stark contrast to the frantic first half.

Despite Brighton's efforts, the match was ultimately defined by Palmer's remarkable first-half heroics, ensuring a memorable victory for Chelsea and cementing Palmer's place in Premier League history.

In the other game on Saturday, a controversial penalty conversion by Anthony Gordon helped Newcastle United play out a 1-1 draw against defending champions Manchester City at the St James Park.

City was playing its first game since Rodri's injury that ruled him out of the season and without their star playee Kevin De Bruyne. They struggled to make their way towards the goal and to breach Newcastle's deep defence.

However, the champions showed their class as Josko Gvardiol delivered the opening goal in 35th minute, finding the bottom corner from inside the box after some good play in the build-up from Jack Grealish.

In the second half, City goalie, Ederson tripped Gordon as he reached for the ball while the English international rounded him. The City star was booked and Newcastle got a penalty kick, which Gordon converted easily. The scoreline was 1-1 after the 58th minute and stayed that way till the end.

City is at the second spot with four wins and two draws, giving them 14 points. Newcastle is at seventh spot, with three wins, two draws and a loss, giving them 11 points.

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