Cole Palmer scored four goals, which included a perfect hat-trick inside the first 29 minutes, as Chelsea trashed Everton 6-0 at Stamford Bridge to move to within three points of the European qualifying spots.
Palmer broke the deadlock in the 13th minute by curling a beautiful strike into the bottom corner after nutmegging Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and playing a one-two with teammate Nicolas Jackson.
He doubled the lead five minutes later, heading in a rebound after a Jackson shot had been saved by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford.
And the 21-year-old completed his perfect hat-trick midway through the first half in style after he intercepted a poor pass from Pickford before lobbing the England goalkeeper from 40 yards out.
Jackson then inflicted more doom on Everton just before the break by volleying in Marc Cucurella’s cut-back, before Palmer added his fourth from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute.
Substitute Alfie Gilchrist then scored his first goal for the club from a tight angle in the 90th minute to make is 6-0.
Chelsea remain 9th on the log, but only three points behind 7th-placed Manchester United, who currently sit in the last European qualification spot, the Blues have also played one game fewer.
Everton remain two points above Luton Town. They face Nottingham Forest, one of the only teams below them, on Sunday in a huge fixture at the bottom
Cole Palmer has netted 20 league goals this season – the last Chelsea player to score more goals in a Premier League season was Frank Lampard in 2009-10.
The former Manchester City player also becomes the fourth player to score four goals for Chelsea in a single Premier League match, after Frank Lampard (2), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gianluca Vialli.
