Palmer hat trick gives Chelsea stunning 4-3 win over Man United

Updated: Apr 5, 2024, 12:28 am

Chelsea staged a last-gasp comeback to beat Manchester United 4-3, with Cole Palmer claiming a hat trick to turn a madcap match on its head after United seemed to have staged their own unlikely turnaround.

Boyhood Man United fan Palmer struck twice deep into added time at Stamford Bridge on Thursday to save Chelsea, who were on the verge of a 3-2 home defeat. Chelsea's top scorer completed his hat trick 10 minutes and 39 seconds into stoppage time with what was the latest winning goal in Premier League history.

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Chelsea raced to a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes with a strike by captain Conor Gallagher and a Palmer penalty.

Goals by Alejandro Garnacho -- after a Moisés Caicedo error -- and Bruno Fernandes before half-time and another in the 67th minute by Garnacho turned the tide towards United, who are chasing qualification for next season's Champions League.

Chelsea celebrate Cole Palmer's stunning winning goal against Manchester United.
GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images

But with Chelsea looking beaten, Diogo Dalot brought down Noni Madueke in the box, and after a nail-biting VAR check Palmer stroked home from the spot for the second time on the night to level the match at 3-3 in the 10th minute of added time.

A minute later, he blasted a shot that deflected off United midfielder Scott McTominay into the net to claim his 16th league goal of the season and send the home fans into rapture.

Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose grip on the job at Stamford Bridge has been questioned with the club stuck in midtable, paid tribute to Palmer.

"The impact is amazing. He is doing a fantastic job, it is difficult to talk more about him. Today he showed the mentality and the quality," the manager told the BBC, adding that he had urged Palmer on in the closing minutes.

"I said, 'Cole, two minutes more' and to believe," Pochettino said.

His opposite number at United, Erik ten Hag, lamented his side's failure to see out the win just a few days after the team conceded a last-gasp equaliser to Brentford in a 1-1 draw.

The victory took Chelsea up to 10th in the Premier League, five points behind United with a game in hand and still hoping to snatch a Europa League spot despite their stop-start season.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.