Chelsea’s long wait for a Premier League Player of the Month award winner has finally been ended by Cole Palmer.
The England forward picked up the prize for April after continuing his incredible first season at Stamford Bridge with seven goals in just four games.
Palmer opened the month by notching a memorable hat-trick, including goals in the 100th and 101st minutes, as Chelsea fought back at home in last-gasp fashion to overcome Manchester United in a seven-goal thriller.
He later notched a ‘perfect’ treble inside just 29 minutes and then added a fourth from the penalty spot during a 6-0 mauling of Everton on April 15.
The hugely influential Palmer also had an assist for Noni Madueke in the 2-2 draw at Sheffield United before being sidelined for the 5-0 demolition by title-chasing Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Friday marked the first time the 22-year-old has won Premier League Player of the Month honours, following on this season from Rodrigo Muniz, Rasmus Hojlund, Diogo Jota, Dominic Solanke, Harry Maguire, Mohamed Salah, Heung-min Son and James Maddison.
Incredibly, and perhaps in a damning indictment of Chelsea’s recent struggles, Palmer is the first Blues player to be awarded player of the month since the now-retired Eden Hazard - who left the club back in 2019. The Belgian playmaker took the prize in September 2018.
It has been a memorable week for Palmer in terms of recognition for a sublime debut campaign in west London following a £42.5million deadline day move from Manchester City last summer that has seen him score 26 times and register 13 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions so far this term with three games left to play.
Palmer was on Thursday nominated for both the Premier League’s Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards, while on Tuesday he won Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year at a Chelsea awards ceremony at Stamford Bridge.
No Blues player has won Premier League Player of the Year honours since N’Golo Kante back in 2016-17.
Palmer is also second only to holder Erling Haaland in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot after scoring his 21st top-flight goal of the season in the 5-0 thrashing of London rivals West Ham last weekend, with his former City team-mate notching four against Wolves the day before to take his tally to 25.
Palmer has also earned his first senior England caps during an incredible rise at Chelsea and now looks a shoo-in to be named in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for the European Championship finals in Germany this summer.