Everything turns to goals for Cole Palmer as Chelsea hammer Everton

The young attacker may have been deemed disposable by Pep Guardiola when Manchester City sold him in September, but where would Chelsea be without him? In a relegation scrap, most likely.

When Palmer completed his hat-trick within 29 minutes of kick-off, his total of 19 league goals made up over a third of Chelsea's total. And although the third was a gift-wrapped present from Jordan Pickford, there was no denying the quality of this 21-year-old, who has surely booked his place on the plane to Germany with England this summer. 

He made it four from the penalty spot midway through the second half after a bizzare tug of war over the spot kick between Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson, which ended with Palmer being given the chance to send Pickford the wrong way. And with that he became the first Chelsea player to score four goals in a league game since Frank Lampard in 2008, the first Blues player since Eden Hazard to score 20 league goals in a season, and joined Erling Haaland at the top of the current Premier League goalscoring chart.

And like Lampard and Hazard, he is not an out and out striker. He is that most desirable of players, a creative and cultured midfielder who scores goals of all types. His first came after a neat nutmeg on Jarrad Branthwaite, an exchange of passes with Jackson and a calm, controlled curler into the far corner.

After missing a sitter from a yard out a minute later – when Madueke's cross hit his backside – Palmer then scored a classic poacher's goal, nipping in to head home a rebound from close range after Pickford saved a Jackson shot from point-blank range.

And then he showed great presence of mind to ping the ball back over Pickford's head from 35 yards when the England keeper made a hash of a clearance and presented Palmer with the chance to embarrass him.

It was quite the masterclass, and put the game to bed within half an hour. Jackson added another before half-time to ensure Everton's players would get the full fire and brimstone treatment from Sean Dyche who made three changes for the second half.

Pickford partly atoned for his earlier error by making a fine save with his feet when Palmer ran on to Mykhailo Mudryk's pass and shot towards goal, but the keeper had no chance from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute, after James Tarkowski fouled Madueke.

That decision led to a rare show of dissent among the Chelsea ranks, with both Jackson and Madueke seizing the ball before captain Conor Gallagher stepped in to hand it to Palmer. It was the right decision with the young man in the form of his life.

And it was another youngster, Alfie Gilchrist, who put the icing on the cake – or should that be a Chelsea bun – when he followed up to volley home in the 89th minute to make it 6-0 after fellow substitute Ben Chilwell had a shot saved.

It was Chelsea's biggest win since beating doomed Norwich 6-0 three years ago, and Everton's heaviest defeat for some time.

And although Everton were awful defensively, Chelsea are pretty rocky at the back and could have conceded three or four on another day. Beto put the ball over the bar rather than over the line from barely three yards in the tenth minute, with the game still scoreless, and there were three other occasions when the ball fizzed across Dejan Petrovic's exposed goalmouth before half time.

Branthwaite missed a free header from a corner shortly before limping off injured in the second half, as Sean Dyche's problems mount up. They are still only two points and two places above the relegation zone, contesting points deductions and with their proposed sale in danger of collapse.

But it was all about Palmer at Stamford Bridge, and he received a standing ovation from home supporters when he was replaced in the 79th minute, with Mauricio Pochettino mindful of Chelsea's meeting in their FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City on Sunday.

Guardiola's men may be top of the league and on course for another clutch of trophies, but he may yet get to regret the sale of Palmer – at just over €40m Euros, the bargain of the season.

CHELSEA: Petrovic 6; Gusto 8 (Gilchrist 88), Silva 7, Chalobah 7, Cucurella 7; Caicedo 7, Palmer 10 (Casadei 79), Gallagher 7; Madueke 8 (Chukwuemeka 71), Jackson 7 (Washington 88) , Mudryk 7 (Chilwell 79) 

EVERTON 4-5-1: Pickford 5; Coleman 6 (Patterson 46 [Godfrey 89]), Tarkowski 6, Branthwaite 5 (Keane 56), Mykolenko 6; Young 5, Doucoure 5, Onana 6 (Gomes 46), Garner 5 (Harrison 46), McNeil 6; Beto 4 

Ref: Paul Tierney 8/10