Premier League: Chelsea thrash Everton
Chelsea 6 - 0 Everton
Cole Palmer moved level with Erling Haaland in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.
He scored a brilliant four-goals, this took him to a total of 20 goals for the season, and helped Chelsea to an emphatic 6-0 win over Everton.
Nicolas Jackson and young substitute Alfie Gilchrist also scored. There was an unsavoury disagreement between Palmer, Jackson and Noni Madueke over who should take a penalty.
A closer look at what happened
Chelsea's 6-0 win over a struggling Everton side at Stamford Bridge was completed thanks to a superb performance by Cole Palmer. The attacking midfielder wasted no time in making an impact, scoring twice in the opening 18 minutes of the game.
Palmer's first goal was a stunning curling effort from outside the box, while the second came from a close-range rebound. Palmer scored two more goals in the match, dealing a significant blow to Everton's hopes of avoiding relegation.
The England international completed his hat-trick before the half-hour mark with another glorious finish after a huge error by Jordan Pickford, while Nicolas Jackson made it 4-0 before the break.
Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024
The England international completed his hat-trick before the half-hour mark with another glorious finish after a massive error by Jordan Pickford. Nicolas Jackson then made it 4-0 before the break.
The tempo slowed down after the break, as expected. However, Chelsea still scored a fifth goal when Palmer converted a penalty after a foul on Noni Madueke by James Tarkowski. Before the penalty was scored, Jackson and Madueke argued over who would take it. Captain Conor Gallagher intervened and gave the ball to Palmer.
Substitute Alfie Gilchrist then completed this thrashing in the 90th minute. This left Sean Dyche and Everton licking their wounds after a really heavy defeat.
What are the Everton fans saying after such a heavy defeat and poor performance?
Click here for more Everton news and stories from European Super Football
Sarah, an Everton fan, told us: "After we received our first points deduction this season, we responded with a defiant winning streak that pulled them clear of danger. Against Chelsea, we didn't look like a team that could get out of the relegation zone. Once we slumped behind early on, things just got worse from there."
One Everton fan told us: "That was an awful performance."
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) April 16, 2024
More reaction coming here: https://t.co/qfMpbyVToc pic.twitter.com/vPGbVLVaS9
Football is the game. Chelsea fans respond to this 6-0 win.
Lauren, a Chelsea fan, added: "That was amazing. Cole Palmer demonstrated why he's our best player now. This performance should make him a strong contender for the Young Player of the Season award. It was also delightful to see Alfie Gilchrist score his first goal because he is an academy graduate. It was heartwarming to see him celebrate with such passion. We have a promising future if we can keep these players happy."
