Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer has become the first player in the 32-year history of the Premier League to score four goals in the first half of a match.

The England international's flurry of goals came within a 20-minute span during Chelsea's 4-2 victory against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday morning (AEST).

Palmer netted in the 21st, 28th, 31st, and 41st minutes, with his haul including a penalty and a long-range free kick that completed his hat-trick.

According to Opta, which provides statistics to the Premier League, no player has ever scored so many goals before half-time in a single match.

“I should have had five or six," Palmer remarked.

"When I missed my first chance, I was upset, but with the way they played and their high line, I felt we’d get more chances.”

Palmer also achieved a four-goal haul for Chelsea last season in a 6-0 victory over Everton in April, which was also in front of a home crowd.

The playmaker joined Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in scoring at least three goals in a game three times for Chelsea in the league.

The match against Brighton was only Palmer's 39th league appearance for Chelsea after joining from Manchester City in the 2023 off-season.

He scored 22 goals last season, second only to City's Erling Haaland (27), and has already netted six goals in the current campaign under Chelsea's latest manager, Enzo Maresca.

Maresca had previously coached Palmer when they were both at City, during which time Palmer played for the City Under-23s.

“You’d have to be blind if you didn’t notice those kinds of things with Cole," Maresca said.

"I mentioned that he scored four but he could have scored more. I always tell him to be ambitious and hungry to score more.

"What he was as a boy is exactly what he was three or four years ago. Goals, assists, best player of the Premier League – this doesn’t change who he is. He's a humble guy, and for me, that's the most important thing.

"He's a top player, and nowadays in football, young players can change quickly. Cole scores goals and never changes, and that is the most important thing.

"He doesn't need to tell people how good he is because you can see it clearly."

According to Brighton's manager Fabian Hurzeler, Palmer's persistence capitalised on the individual errors of Brighton.

Hurzeler stated that his team had not faced a player of that calibre this season.

"So far, yes," Hurzeler replied when asked if Palmer was the toughest challenge the club had encountered thus far.

"He scored four goals and punished every mistake. He took advantage of the first and second with the penalty; you can't stop him in one-on-one situations, and we have to defend him as a team.

"Sometimes we lost our structure, and it’s difficult to defend players like this."