Cole Palmer sensationally scored FOUR goals as Mauricio Pochettino oversaw his biggest win with Chelsea, his side making up ground in the race for Europe with a 6-0 home win over Everton.

In a topsy-turvy season, Palmer has so often dragged Chelsea through, and he followed up his dramatic treble against Manchester United in their previous game at Stamford Bridge with four more goals.

His first goal made him the first Chelsea player to score in seven straight Premier League home appearances, and he went on to net the earliest ever hat-trick by a Blues player in the competition, in the 29th minute.

Adding his fourth goal from the penalty spot, he took his tally to 20 Premier League goals for the season, moving level with his former Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland in the race for the Castrol Golden Boot.

Although Chelsea ended Monday's match in ninth, just as they had started it, Palmer's haul – plus a strike from Nicolas Jackson and a first Premier League goal from Alfie Gilchrist – boosted hopes of a late surge towards the top six.

Pochettino's men, who are unbeaten in eight Premier League matches, are only three points behind sixth-placed Newcastle United and have a game in hand.

How the match unfolded

Everton should have been ahead in the 10th minute when Seamus Coleman picked out Beto in front of an open goal, only for the forward to put the ball over the crossbar with his knee.

Opta measured the chance as being worth 0.96 Expected Goals, essentially meaning Beto would be expected to score 96 times out of 100, but the Everton striker missed the target entirely.

Facing a Chelsea side who had conceded at least twice in each of their previous seven matches in all competitions, Everton again came up short in front of goal.

Palmer soon made the visitors pay, nutmegging Jarrad Branthwaite and trading passes with Jackson before shaping a fine, first-time finish into the bottom-left corner.

After inadvertently deflecting a goalbound shot wide with his back, man of the moment Palmer helped himself to a swift second, heading in the rebound from Jackson's close-range shot. 

And two became three when Jordan Pickford's slack pass was picked off by the 21-year-old, who ruthlessly lobbed his England team-mate from 40 yards.

Beto was well offside when he thought he had pulled a goal back - and instead Everton were four behind at the break as Jackson brought down Marc Cucurella's cross and fired in at Pickford's right-hand post.

Palmer initially had to wait for his fourth as Pickford blocked with his legs. But the hat-trick hero added to his tally from the penalty spot after being fouled by Abdoulaye Doucoure and winning an argument over who would take the spot-kick.

That row was the only dampener on the evening for the Blues, with Pochettino stating after the match that it was "a shame" and that he had told his players "it's the last time I accept this type of behaviour".

Academy graduate Gilchrist completed the scoring in the 90th minute as he lashed in his first professional goal.

Everton continue to look over their shoulder, lying only two points above the relegation zone in 16th place ahead of a HUGE duel with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Club reports

Chelsea | Everton

Match officials 

Referee: Paul Tierney. Assistants: Scott Ledger, Steve Meredith. Fourth official: Graham Scott. VAR: Michael Salisbury. Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis.