- Cole Palmer delivered a classic performance against Brighton with four goals
- His teammates continued their old antics with a new game ball message
- LISTEN NOW: It all starts!available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
A Chelsea star teased Cole Palmer by writing a cheeky message on his match ball, despite the star scoring four goals against Brighton.
Palmer scored four goals in the first half of the 4-2 win, including a breathtaking 30-yard free-kick that had the fans purring at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The 22-year-old became the first ever Premier League player to score four goals before half-time and Mail Sport gave him a 9.5 rating for his ‘simply extraordinary’ performance.
He already has three Premier League hat-tricks to his name – as many as club legends Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – and his Chelsea teammates have been up to their old tricks with his match ball.
Last season a mystery man wrote ‘s*** player’ on his ball after scoring a hat-trick in the 4-3 win over Manchester United in April.
Romeo Lavia cheekily mocked Cole Palmer by writing ‘you’re a mid anyway’ after scoring four goals against Brighton
Palmer stunned fans when he became the first Premier League star to score four goals before half-time
The 22-year-old scored a stunning free-kick from 30 yards as the best of the bunch
And this time, Romeo Lavia was the agent of mischief, writing, “You’re a middle player anyway.”
Lavia tagged Palmer as he posted a photo of his graffiti on Instagram and said, “There you go CP.”
His work caused a wave of reactions on social media.
‘Gotta love the banter between teammates! Keep it light and fun!’ wrote one on X, formerly Twitter.
“Only a true friend can get away with that,” said another.
“Boys will be boys,” someone said.
Some saw the truth in Lavia’s message. ‘Palmer is really a middle player. He never shows up for big games,” commented one fan.
‘He knows the truth. Goals aside,” said another.
Those doubters would do well to check the scoring and assists charts, with Palmer finishing second in both six goals and four goals this season. He has also scored 43 goals and assists in the Premier League since the start of last season, the most of any player.
Lavia came into action as Chelsea continued their strong start under Enzo Maresca
Some fans were amused by Lavia’s written message, while others took it seriously
He had the chance to boost his numbers even further on Saturday, with an incredible first-time pass that curled over the defensive line for Nicolas Jackson in a special demonstration of his talent.
Manager Enzo Maresca greeted him full-time.
“I just said to Cole, he scored four, but he could have scored two or three more. It is important that he remains hungry and ambitious,” he said.
‘I know Cole from many years ago. I had him at City for a whole season and then with the first team. The best he has is how he is now as a boy, and that was exactly the same two or three years ago.
‘So, goals and assists, the best player in the Premier League; this doesn’t change the way he is. He is a simple man, a modest man – and for me this is the most important thing.
‘He is a top player. And the most important thing from the foregoing is that young players change very quickly in football these days. They score one goal and think they already are… Cole has scored a lot of goals, made a lot of assists, he’s a top player, but he’s never changed. This is the most important thing.’
After losing 2-0 to Manchester City in the first game of the season, Chelsea has rediscovered their way under Maresca.
They have since won four and drawn one of their Premier League games and are looking more lethal, leading Wolves by six and scoring five against Barrow in the Carabao Cup.