Hat-trick hero Palmer inspires # '. ǭ. - ( /$ 2$)
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CHELSEAstaged a last-gasp comeback to beat Manchester United 4-3 with Cole Palmer bagging a hattrick to turn a madcap Premier League ( / # *) $/. # Ƥ - /# . . ( /* have staged their own unlikely turnaround in a thriller on Thursday.
# '. ǭ. /*+ . *- - '( - ./-0 & /2$ deep into added time at Stamford Bridge to save the Blues who were on the verge of a 3-2 home defeat. United remain in sixth spot and still 11 points behind fourthplaced Villa albeit with a game in hand. Timed at 100 minutes and 39 seconds, '( -ǭ. '$) # - 2 . /# ' / ./ 2$))$)" goal on record in a Premier League game.
Chelsea had raced into a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes with a strike by captain Conor Gallagher and a Palmer penalty.
Goals by Alejandro Garnacho - after a Moises Caicedo error - and Bruno
Fernandes before half-time and another in the 67th minute by Garnacho turned the tide towards United, who are chasing ,0 '$ơ /$*) !*- ) 3/ . .*)ǭ. # (+$*). League.
But with the Blues looking beaten, Diogo Dalot brought down Noni Madueke in /# *3 ) Ƥ - ) $'Ƕ $/$)" # & Palmer stroked home from the spot for the second time on the night to level the match at 3-3 in the 10th minute of added time. A minute later, he blasted a shot that ƣ / *ƥ )$/ ($ ơ ' - *// *minay into the net to claim his 16th league goal of the season and send the home fans into raptures.
Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose grip on the job at Stamford Bridge has been questioned with the club stuck in mid-table, paid tribute to Palmer. “The impact is amazing. He is doing ! )/ ./$ %* Ǡ $/ $. $Ʀ 0'/ /* / '& (*about him. Today he showed the mentality and the quality,” the Argentine told the BBC, adding he had urged Palmer on in the closing minutes.
Ǯ . $ Ǡ Ǭ *' Ǡ /2* ($)0/ . (*- ǭ ) /* believe,” Pochettino said. His opposite number at United, Erik ten "Ǡ ' ( )/ #$. .$ ǭ. ! $'0- /* . *0/ /# 2$) %0./ ! 2 4. Ƥ - #$. / ( *)ceded a last-gasp equaliser to Brentford in a 1-1 draw.
“Manchester United dominated the game but we made individual errors that cost us the game,” he said. “We have to learn from it. When you are a Man Utd player you should already know how to deal with this circumstance.”
# 1$ /*-4 /**& # '. 0+ /* ƬƬ/#Ǡ ơ1 points behind United with a game in hand and still hoping to snatch a Europa League spot despite their stop-start season.