Cole Palmer's sensational hat-trick against Wolves on Saturday, February 7, 2026, has drawn high praise from Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior, who hailed the young forward as "unstoppable". Palmer's heroics at Molineux, which included two penalties and a stunning strike from open play, secured a 3-1 victory for the Blues and further cemented Rosenior's impressive start as manager.
Rosenior, who has now become only the second English manager in Premier League history to win his first four league games in charge, was understandably delighted with Palmer's performance. "First half was everything you want in an away performance at this level," Rosenior told the BBC. He further added, "I thought our pressing was very good, our patterns with the ball were outstanding and we put ourselves in a really, really strong position".
Palmer opened the scoring in the 13th minute, converting a penalty after Joao Pedro was fouled in the box. He doubled Chelsea's lead from the spot in the 35th minute, following another foul on Joao Pedro. Just three minutes later, Palmer completed his hat-trick, firing home from a Marc Cucurella cutback after a flowing team move.
"Obviously Cole gets three goals, but some of our football was everything I wanted to see," Rosenior said. "We know what a world-class player he is. He's played a lot of football over the last year with not much rest, but when he's at his best he's unstoppable". Rosenior also noted the team's tactical flexibility in the first half, stating, "We changed the system a little bit for the first time". He emphasized that Palmer was integral to the team's impressive play, saying, "Some of our passages of play, some of our football, was everything I wanted to see and he was a part of that".
Palmer's hat-trick was his fourth in the Premier League, surpassing the Chelsea records previously held by Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. It also marked the first time a player has scored three first-half hat-tricks in Premier League history. Despite his remarkable performance, Palmer revealed he is still managing an ongoing injury. "Obviously being injured the whole season is not ideal, when I'm not able to perform as I want to because I've been injured and stuff," Palmer said. "I'm still dealing with an injury but hopefully I can get over the injuries soon by managing it because I know what level I can provide when I feel 100 percent fit".
The win against Wolves keeps Chelsea in contention for a top-four finish. Rosenior, while pleased with the victory, emphasized the need for continued improvement. "Second half we want more and our standards dropped," he said. "But overall very, very happy with an away three points". Chelsea faces a strong Leeds team on Tuesday, and Rosenior is keen to maintain the momentum.
Palmer's response to reports linking him with a move away from Chelsea was to cover his ears during his celebration, suggesting he is not paying attention to the "outside noise". He told the BBC, "Everyone loves to chat s*** don't they? I don't pay attention to it".