Chelsea Hat-trick Leads To Four-game Winning Run As Palmer Shines Against Wolves

Cole Palmer delivered another ruthless first-half hat-trick as Chelsea beat Wolves 3-1 at Molineux, keeping Liam Rosenior’s perfect Premier League start intact and leaving the hosts stuck at the bottom of the table, 18 points from safety despite a better second-half display.

The win moves Chelsea up to fifth place, just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester United, while Rosenior becomes only the second English manager to win the first four Premier League matches in charge, matching Craig Shakespeare’s run with Leicester City between February and April 2017.

Palmer’s treble also makes Premier League history, as Palmer now has three first-half hat-tricks in the competition, having done the same against Everton in April 2024 and Brighton in September

2024, and no other player has ever managed that three times by the 40-minute mark.

Those three efforts account for three of the last four Premier League hat-tricks scored before the 40th minute, with the only other recent example coming from Omar Marmoush against Newcastle United in February 2025, underlining Palmer’s habit of deciding games early.

Chelsea’s control began with a 13th-minute penalty, awarded when Matt Doherty tripped Joao Pedro inside the box, and Palmer calmly converted, then another spot-kick followed in the 35th minute after Yerson Mosquera shoved Joao Pedro just inside the area, with Palmer again sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

The hat-trick was complete three minutes later, as Marc Cucurella reached the byline on the left and pulled the ball back for Palmer, who swept a powerful shot high into the net, prompting loud boos from Wolves supporters as the players left the pitch at half-time.

Chelsea vs Wolves Premier League: Wolves respond after the break

Wolves improved significantly following the restart, with Mateus Mane striking the post with an audacious outside-of-the-boot attempt in the 54th minute, and only 26 seconds after that near miss, Tolu Arokodare bundled in from close range when Adam Armstrong flicked on Mane’s corner, yet Chelsea stayed largely comfortable.

Underlying numbers highlighted Chelsea’s early dominance, as Chelsea finished with 15 shots and 3.16 expected goals, while Wolves produced only two shots and 0.12 xG before half-time but ended with 11 attempts and 1.09 xG overall, showing that the early penalties left Wolves chasing a game already shaped by Palmer’s precision.

Team	Shots	Expected Goals (xG)
Chelsea	15	3.16
Wolves	11	1.09

Chelsea leave Molineux with momentum and a strengthened top-four push under Rosenior, while Wolves, despite a spirited second half and brief hope after Arokodare’s goal, remain bottom of the table and face a sizeable 18-point gap to safety after another damaging home defeat.