Cold 'Palmer' hits four first-half goals as Chelsea hammer Brighton

Cole Palmer celebrates after scoring for Chelsea. [AFP]

Cole Palmer scored four times in 20 first-half minutes to make Premier League history as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 to move up to third on Saturday.

The Blues had trailed early on as Georginio Rutter took advantage of a calamity of errors in the Chelsea defence to head in his first goal for the Seagulls.

However, Palmer soon took over to become the first Premier League player to score four times in the first half.

The England international swept home Nicolas Jackson's pass to level before he coolly slotted in from the penalty spot.

Palmer completed his third Chelsea hat-trick in style with a free-kick that curled into the top corner.

Carlos Baleba pounced on another mistake from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to reduce Brighton's arrears.

But Palmer rounded off his history-making first 45 minutes when he blasted past Bart Verbruggen at his near post.

Palmer could have had even more before the break as he hit the post and saw another effort ruled out.

"I know Cole Palmer from many years ago, I had him at Manchester City in the under-23s," said Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.

"The best thing is the way he is as a human is the same way. This doesn't change his life and that is the best thing for him.

"You'd have to be blind if you didn't see those kind of things with Cole. I said that he scored four but he could have scored more, I say always to be ambitious and hungry to score more."

After an enthralling first half, the second was scoreless.

But the damage to the visitors had been done as Brighton succumbed to their first defeat under Fabian Hurzeler.

Since losing to Manchester City on the opening weekend of the season, Chelsea have taken 13 points from a possible 15 to make a fine start under Maresca.

"I was more focused on the way the team progressed rather than results," added the Chelsea boss "We are ahead in my expectation in the way we want to play."