Cole Palmer scored a first-half hat-trick as Chelsea secured a 3-1 victory over bottom-placed Wolves at Molineux. The win marks Liam Rosenior's fourth consecutive Premier League success since taking charge. Palmer's goals helped Chelsea maintain their push for Champions League qualification.
Chelsea travelled to Molineux on February 7, 2026, looking to rebound from a midweek Carabao Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal. Under new head coach Liam Rosenior, who replaced Enzo Maresca, the Blues have won seven of their nine games across all competitions, including four straight in the Premier League.
The match began sluggishly for Chelsea, but they broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Matt Doherty fouled Joao Pedro in the box, allowing Palmer to convert the penalty. Wolves struggled to respond, and another penalty followed in the 35th minute after Yerson Mosquera pushed Pedro, with Palmer slotting it away for his second. Just three minutes later, Marc Cucurella crossed for Palmer to complete his hat-trick, smashing the ball into the roof of the net. This made Palmer the first player in Premier League history to score three first-half hat-tricks.
Wolves improved after the break. Mateus Mane hit the post in the 54th minute, and 26 seconds later, Tolu Arokodare swept home from a corner flicked on by debutant Adam Armstrong, pulling one back to make it 3-1. Despite late chances for Pedro Neto, including a diving header that grazed the post, Chelsea held firm.
Rosenior praised his side's first-half pressing and patterns of play, telling BBC Sport: “It can’t really get any better can it? ... As long as we keep improving while we’re winning, that’ll make me a very happy manager.” He highlighted Palmer's happiness amid speculation over his future: “There’s been a lot of talk around him ... he looked happy today with his three goals.”
Wolves manager Rob Edwards noted their positive start undone by errors: “We started really positively ... and then after a couple of ludicrous mistakes, against a top team ... it’s going to be a really difficult day for us.” The defeat leaves Wolves seven points from safety, deepening their relegation woes.
Chelsea, now fifth and one point behind fourth-placed Manchester United, boosted their top-four hopes with the result.
