Cole Palmer scored a historic first-half hat-trick to lead Chelsea to a 3-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. The win marked Chelsea's fourth consecutive league triumph under manager Liam Rosenior. Palmer's performance made him the first player to achieve three first-half hat-tricks in Premier League history.
Chelsea traveled to Molineux on February 7, 2026, facing a struggling Wolves side at the bottom of the Premier League table. The visitors quickly asserted dominance, with Joao Pedro winning two penalties in the first half. Cole Palmer converted both calmly, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way each time.
In the 38th minute, Palmer completed his hat-trick with a powerful finish from open play, latching onto a cutback from Marc Cucurella at the end of a fluid team move. This effort marked his first open-play goal in the league since December and propelled him past 50 goals for Chelsea across all competitions, reaching 51. The 23-year-old's exploits also celebrated his 100th appearance for the club.
Palmer's three goals in 25 minutes set a Premier League record, making him the first player to score first-half hat-tricks on three occasions—previously against Everton in April 2024 and Brighton later that year. It was his fourth Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea, surpassing club legends Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to become the Blues' all-time leader in the era.
Wolves responded after the interval, hitting the woodwork before Tolu Arokodare reduced the deficit with a close-range finish from a corner, making the score 3-1. Despite a brighter second half from the hosts, including chances from Mates Mane and Rodrigo Gomes, Chelsea held firm to secure the points. The result extended their unbeaten run to four league games under Rosenior, the second English manager to win his first four Premier League matches, following Craig Shakespeare's feat with Leicester in 2017.
Chelsea remain fifth in the table, one point behind Manchester United after their earlier win. Their next fixture is a home league match against Leeds United on Tuesday night. This victory highlighted Palmer's return to form after a season hampered by injuries, where he had managed only four league goals prior to the game.
