Premier league: Palmer scores all four as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2

Chelsea knew it was getting a talented player by signing Cole Palmer from Manchester City last year.

But maybe not this good.

Palmer created some history on Saturday when he became the first player to score four goals in the first half of an English Premier League match. His flurry of strikes came in Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Brighton that further strengthened the belief that the London team will be a force this season after spending more than $1 billion on players over the past two years.

Palmer was one of the club’s expensive signings — he cost at least 40 million pounds ($50.7 million) — but that looks a bargain now. His 22 league goals last season was second only to Man City’s Erling Haaland and also included a four-goal haul against Everton, and he is already up to six goals in this campaign in just six games.

Palmer is also a regular in England’s squad, scoring the team’s goal in the 2-1 loss to Spain in the European Championship final in July.

How City could have done with having Palmer a few hours earlier on Saturday, when the champion drew at Newcastle 1-1 to drop points for the second straight weekend. Haaland was kept scoreless in a league game for the first time this season and stayed on 10 goals. Defender Josko Gvardiol netted for City instead.

Late goals propel Arsenal to 4-2 win over Leicester

Arsenal took advantage of its big rival’s slip-up by beating Leicester 4-2 thanks to two stoppage-time goals — an own-goal and a close-range finish by Kai Havertz.

Arsenal joined first-place City on 14 points but both could be overtaken if Liverpool beat Wolverhampton away in the late game.

Brentford became the first Premier League team to score inside the first minute in three straight games, but couldn’t hold on after Bryan Mbeumo’s strike and drew with West Ham 1-1.

Everton gained its first win of the season in beating Crystal Palace 2-1 and Fulham won at Nottingham Forest 1-0, with Mexico striker Raul Jimenez scoring in a third straight game.

Missing Rodri

It was City’s first league match since influential midfielder Rodri was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury sustained in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal last weekend and the champions were far from their fluid best without the Ballon d’Or contender. Haaland barely got a chance at St James’ Park, so couldn’t tie the record of City great Sergio Aguero in scoring in each of his first six games of a Premier League season.