After the Reds appeared to have produced their own improbable turnaround in a thrilling game on Thursday, Chelsea pulled off a thrilling 4-3 victory over Manchester United thanks to a hat-trick from Cole Palmer.
Palmer, the leading scorer for Chelsea, scored twice in the second half of extra time at Stamford Bridge to rescue the Blues, who were about to lose 3-2 at home. With a game remaining, United is currently in sixth position, 11 points behind Villa in fourth place.
Palmer’s game-winning goal was the most recent one ever recorded in a Premier League match, clocking in at a minute and forty-nine seconds.Conor Gallagher’s goal and Palmer’s penalty kick gave Chelsea a 2-0 lead in just twenty minutes.
Alejandro Garnacho’s goals in the 67th minute, following a mistake by Moises Caicedo, and Bruno Fernandes’ goals just before halfway reversed the tide in favour of United, who is vying for a spot in the Champions League the following season.
However, with the Blues appearing defeated, Diogo Dalot took down Noni Madueke in the box. In the tenth minute of added time, Palmer scored his second goal of the game from the spot, levelling the score at 3-3. This came after a suspenseful VAR check.
He scored his 16th league goal of the season and sent the home crowd into raptures a minute later with a rocket of a shot that ricocheted off United midfielder Scott McTominay and into the net.With a game remaining, Chelsea, led by Mauricio Pochettino, is now five points behind United in 10th place and yet has a chance to catch up and qualify for the Europa League despite their inconsistent season.
