Chelsea 6-0 Everton: Palmer's four lead Blues' blowout
Cole Palmer scored four times — left-foot, header, right-foot, penalty — to join Erling Haaland atop the Premier League season goals leaderboard as Chelsea improved its European stock with a 6-0 demolition of Everton at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
Nicolas Jackson and Alfie Gilchrist also scored for Chelsea, who led 3-0 at the break through Palmer's perfect hat trick and ran their unbeaten run to eight games in the Premier League ahead of Saturday's FA Cup semifinal versus Palmer's former club Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.
WATCH CHELSEA v EVERTON FULL MATCH REPLAY
Chelsea move within a point of eighth-place West Ham and three back of Newcastle and Manchester United. The Blues have two matches-in-hand on the Irons and one match on the other two, and their plus-8 goal differential is second-best of the bunch to Newcastle's plus-17.
Everton are hovering just above the relegation zone after they were handed a second points deduction of the season. The Toffees' 27 points are one more than 17th-place Nottingham Forest and two clear of 18h-place Luton Town. Everton have played one fewer match than Forest, Luton, and Burnley.
Europe calling Cole Palmer and Chelsea?
Who knows if Chelsea would've taken a top-seven finish and a couple of deep cup runs at the outset of the season, but Mauricio Pochettino will snap your hand off for that now.
Chelsea has at least a game-in-hand on the three teams between it and sixth place, and the Blues are also one win — albeit against Man City — from reaching the FA Cup Final after faltering in the League Cup Final versus Liverpool.
Pochettino's season has been a roller coaster and that includes parts of this eight-match unbeaten run like the 2-2 draw at home to Burnley and fellow 2-2 split at Sheffield United.
But the young Blues have kept fighting through it all and may well chase down traditional rivals West Ham and Manchester United as well as Newcastle United. Cole Palmer is flying and he's not the only one. While the scrap over Chelsea's penalty was unsightly, it worked out in the end. That could eventually be how we describe Chelsea's season if the Blues can return to Europe.
Chelsea vs Everton player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Everton host Nottingham Forest at 8:30am ET Sunday in a massive six-pointer, then welcome Liverpool to town on Wednesday, April 24, for a delayed Merseyside derby.
Chelsea meet Man City on Saturday in an FA Cup semifinal before going to Arsenal at 3pm ET Tuesday, April 23.
How to watch Chelsea vs Everton live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 3pm ET Monday (April 15)
TV Channel: USA Network
Online: Watch online via NBC.com
Chelsea vs Everton live updates — by Nick Mendola
Chelsea vs Everton final score: 6-0
Goalscorers: Palmer (13', 18', 29', pen 64'), Jackson (44'), Gilchrist (90')
Alfie Gilchrist goal — Chelsea 6-0 Everton (90th minute)
Ben Chilwell's ripped shot is parried by Jordan Pickford, and 20-year-old Alfie Gilchrist finished the rebound in style to make it a half-dozen goals.
It's the defender's 14th career appearance for the Blues, and his previous seven Premier League outings lasted 1, 1, 1, 9, 6, 3, and 15 minutes.
Chelsea players fight over pen, Palmer makes it four — Chelsea 5-0 Everton (63rd minute)
Noni Madueke is felled in the box after a Palmer entry, and a penalty is awarded to the Blues.
Cole Palmer steps up to take it but either Noni Madueke or Nicolas Jackson wants it, and there's shoving between he Chelsea players.
Jackson and/or Madueke remains upset even after Palmer puts it the other way for 5-0.
Everton triple sub
No surprise to see big changes here.
Out go and Andre Onana, James Garner, and Seamus Coleman.
On come Jack Harrison, Andre Gomes, and Nathan Patterson.
Halftime — Chelsea 4-0 Everton
The xG scoreboard reads 1.40-1.18 but Chelsea have been clinical and lead by four.
The Blues have put five of their eight shots on target, using 63% possession and some poor Everton defending — and goalkeeping — to deliver a huge halftime lead.
The Toffees probably should have at least one goal, but Chelsea was due for a night like this if we're being honest.
Nicolas Jackson goal — Chelsea 4-0 Everton (44th minute)
Palmer sends Marc Cucurella to the left corner, and the Barcelona product laces a cross into the box.
Jackson does so well to bring the ball down, turning and firing past Pickford for 4-0. Wow.
Jordan Pickford gaffe leads to Cole Palmer perfect hat trick — Chelsea 3-0 Everton (29th minute)
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford is 15 yards out of his goal playing possession when he just passes the ball to Palmer.
That's a second hat trick of the year as Palmer sends the ball over Pickford's head and into the goal.
Another Cole Palmer goal! Chelsea 2-0 Everton (18th minute)
Moises Caicedo, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Nicolas Jackson interplay leads to Jordan Pickford parrying Jackson's shot right into the path of Palmer.
That's 18 goals on the season, two fewer than Erling Haaland.
Cole Palmer goal! Chelsea 1-0 Everton (13th minute)
Of course it was him.
Malo Gusto cuts an incisive pass to Cole Palmer, who nutmegs Jarrad Branthwaite plus loses the ball with his next touch.
Nicolas Jackson sucks it up, then lunges to lay it off to Palmer for a beautiful curling left foot past Jordan Pickford.
Chelsea lineup
Petrovic, Gusto, Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella, Caicedo, Gallagher, Palmer, Madueke, Jackson, Mudryk
Everton lineup
Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Onana, Garner, Doucoure, McNeil, Young, Beto.
Chelsea focus, team news
The injuries Chelsea have had is unbelievable as Pochettino will continue to lean heavily on the likes of Jackson, Gallagher, Palmer and Caicedo and the back four should be Badiashille, Chalobah, Cucurella and Gusto as they are pretty much the only defenders Chelsea can roll out there right now with Disasi a fitness concern. Enzo Fernandez is a doubt so perhaps Carney Chukwuemeka will get a rare start in midfield after he returned from injury?
OUT: Christopher Nkunku (thigh), Levi Colwill (foot), Reece James (thigh), Romeo Lavia (hamstring - out for season), Wesley Fofana (torn ACL - out for season), Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring) | QUESTIONABLE: Ben Chilwell (illness), Robert Sanchez (illness), Axel Disasi (fitness), Enzo Fernandez (undisclosed), Raheem Sterling (fitness)
Everton focus, team news
Everton's settled defense and midfield has been the savior of their season and they luckily do not have injuries in that department but there is a small doubt over James Garner. Up top Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been among the goals in recent weeks but he is battling to be fit and if he doesn't make it from the start then Beto will lead the line.
OUT: Dele Alli (groin), Lewis Dobbin (ankle) | QUESTIONABLE: Arnaut Danjuma (ankle), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (thigh), James Garner (other)
