Cole Palmer responds to four-goal Chelsea heroics as hilarious Romeo Lavia message revealed

After scoring all four of Chelsea’s goals in their chaotic 4-2 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge, Cole Palmer claimed: “I should have had five or six”.

The 22-year-old became the first player in Premier League history to score four times in the first half of a match on Saturday, but might have had even more, hitting the post before his first strike and then firing wide in the second half.

Speaking after the game, Palmer said: “When I missed the first chance I was upset, but with the way they played and their high line, I felt we would get more chances”.

Palmer’s slight self-criticism, if not incredibly high standards, was jokingly echoed by Chelsea team-mate Romeo Lavia, who declared the England star was “a mid player regardless” of anything he did today in a teasing message written on his match ball revealed on social media.

Palmer’s four-goal haul makes it six goals and four assists for the season already for the England forward, and means he has now scored three Premier League hat-tricks for the Blues - tying him with Chelsea legends Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.