Perfect Palmer leads Chelsea win
LONDON (AFP) — Cole Palmer scored four goals to put Chelsea within touching distance of the Premier League’s top six after a 6-0 win over Everton on Monday.
The England international has been a shining light in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Blues and moved level with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland’s 20 Premier League goals in the race for the Golden Boot.
Palmer killed the game as a contest as he completed his hat trick inside 30 minutes before Nicolas Jackson also struck before halftime.
However, the night was not without drama for Chelsea, as Palmer had to fend off teammates Jackson and Noni Madueke to score his fourth from the penalty spot.
“We cannot behave in this way. I told them this is the last time I accept this type of behavior,” said Pochettino after his biggest win as Chelsea boss to date.
Despite an eight-game unbeaten Premier League run, Chelsea remains in ninth but is now just three points adrift of sixthplaced Newcastle with a game in hand to come.
Chelsea will head into Saturday’s FA Cup semifinal against City with confidence that it can end the holder’s quest for a second consecutive treble.
“The most important thing now is to build a team which is consistent,” added Pochettino.
“We were not consistent enough. We need to learn and learn quick.”
A demoralizing defeat leaves Everton still perilously placed just two points above the relegation zone.
Nottingham Forest visit Goodison Park in a huge relegation six-pointer on Sunday and Sean Dyche’s men will need to improve at both ends of the field to prolong their 70-year stay in the top flight.
“It’s the most embarrassed I’ve felt as an individual and part of a team in my time in football,” said Everton defender James Tarkowski.
The visitors were dealt a blow before kickoff as Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed out due to a hamstring injury.
His deputy Beto spurned a glorious chance to open the scoring when he somehow turned over Seamus Coleman’s cross from point-blank range.
Palmer was not so forgiving at the other end as he made another case to be crowned as the Premier League’s player of the year.
City must regret letting
the 21-year-old leave for what now looks like a bargain $50 million in September.
Palmer nutmegged Jarrad Branthwaite before exchanging a neat one-two with Jackson and curling home from the edge of the box to open the scoring.
With Enzo Fernandez absent due to injury, Pochettino flanked Palmer and Jackson with Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk for the first time in his starting lineup.
Everton failed to live with the sharpness of the front four and Palmer was left with an easy task to head in his second after Jordan Pickford denied Jackson from a Mudryk cross.
The England goalkeeper then had a moment to forget as he gifted possession to Palmer, who nonchalantly chipped his international teammate on his weaker right foot from midway inside the Everton half.