Chelsea 4-2 Brighton: Blues positives and negatives
By Vishnu Raj
Chelsea secured a 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, continuing their impressive form. Georginio Rutter opened the scoring following a misjudgment from Robert Sanchez, and a rapid-fire hat-trick from Cole Palmer within 10 minutes shifted the game firmly in Chelsea's favor. Carlos Baleba capitalized on another Sanchez error to pull one back for Brighton before Palmer extended Chelsea’s lead again.
Positives and Negatives of the Match
Positives
1. The Cole Palmer Show
The young Englishman was the standout performer, netting four brilliant first-half goals, thus becoming the first player in Premier League history to achieve this feat. He opened the scoring after some smart play by Nicolas Jackson, following a mistake by Adam Webster. Palmer's second came from the penalty spot after Jadon Sancho was fouled in the box. His hat-trick was completed with a spectacular free-kick, and the fourth arrived from a perfectly timed run behind the defense, where a clever pass from Sancho set up a remarkable first-time finish.
Saturday marked Palmer's second time scoring four in a match this year. It was another record-breaking performance from the former Manchester City player. Though he missed a chance in the second half, Palmer was a constant threat, hitting the post early in the first half. Beyond his goals, he created four chances, including two major ones. His 30 goal contributions this season outpace any other Premier League player, proving his success is not a one-season wonder or merely the result of Mauricio Pochettino’s setup.