X reacts as Cole Palmer scores perfect first-half hat-trick for Chelsea against Everton | OneFootball

Chelsea have spent a hell of a lot of money on some duds in recent years. It's going to be hard for them to shake the 'billion-pound bottlejobs' tag bestowed upon them by Gary Neville.

But Cole Palmer has been worth every penny for the Blues.

He secured back-to-back Stamford Bridge hat-tricks with a treble against Everton on Monday night, wrapping it up by the 29th minute.

Yes, really.

Palmer's first goal was a thing of beauty. Picking the ball up just inside the Everton half, he roasted Jarrad Branthwaite with a nutmeg and made his way to the penalty area, playing a one-two with Nicolas Jackson before delicately curling round Jordan Pickford.

After somehow keeping the ball from going in off his backside when played in by Noni Madueke, Palmer quickly redeemed himself with a second goal of the evening, nodding home when Pickford spilled a low shot from Jackson. Minutes later he had his third to complete a perfect hat-trick, intercepting a pass from Pickford and lobbing him from distance with his right foot.

Having officially clocked his three goals by 29 minutes, Palmer ensured his hat-trick was the quickest scored by a Chelsea player in the Premier League era.

Palmer also gained significant ground in the wide-open race for the Premier League Golden Boot.