Chelsea v Everton player ratings: Palmer 9, Jackson 8; Pickford 4, Onana 4

Mauricio Pochettino's side hit woeful Everton for six at Stamford Bridge to move within three points of Premier League's top six

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  Djordie Petrovic 6/10

  CHELSEA RATINGS: Faced one shot on target in first half, an easy save from weak Beto shot. Beaten by Beto header but Everton attacker was offside. Next save did not come until injury time with deflected shot. AFPShow less

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  Malo Gusto 7/10

  Important role in opening goal with surging run down right and ball into Palmer’s feet. Bombed forward regularly and not troubled defensively. AFP

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  Trevoh Chalobah 7/10

  Vital touch on cross just before break that took ball away from waiting Beto in middle and prevented Everton pulling goal back. Solid as a rock alongside Silva at back for Chelsea. Reuters

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  Thiago Silva 7/10

  Brazilian veteran helped Chelsea keep first clean sheet in league since January 13 and up against an Everton side devoid of attacking threat for much of game. AP

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  Marc Cucurella 7/10

  Whipped excellent ball into box from left, after doing well to keep ball in play, that saw Jackson finish in some style for Chelsea’s fourth. Reuters

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  Moises Caicedo 8/10

  Showed power and poise to in run-up to third goal in what was one of his best performance in Chelsea colours. Getty Images

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  Conor Gallagher 8/10

  Combined well with Caicedo in middle of park with Chelsea duo seeming to benefit from Enzo Fernandez’s absence. Fine performance from captain who also stepped in to sort row between teammates over second-half penalty. ReutersShow less

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  Noni Madueke 8/10

  Lively game with his pace causing Everton regular problems. Amazing scenes in second-half when both he and Jackson felt they should have taken a penalty that was eventually taken and scored by Palmer. AFPShow less

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  Cole Palmer 9/10

  Perfect hat-trick in opening 30 minutes; first a lovely side-foot finish with left foot, second a close-range header, the third a lob over Pickford with right. Scored fifth from penalty spot and now has 20 league goals this season. EPAShow less

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  Mykhailo Mudryk 7/10

  Kept ball in play before providing ball into middle that would lead to Palmer’s scoring his second. Booked for clipping heels and ending run of Coleman late in first half. Side-footed good chance straight at keeper in second half. EPAShow less

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  Nicolas Jackson 8/10

  Key role in Palmer’s early double with assist for first, then had shot saved by Pickford that his teammate headed home for second. Lovely first touch and finish to make it 4-0. Embarrassed himself trying to take penalty honours off Palmer for fifth. ReutersShow less

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  Carney Chukwuemeka 6/10

  SUBS: (On for Madueke 72’) Side were five up and strolling by the time he came on with match petering out as spectacle. Getty Images

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  Ben Chilwell N/A

  (On for Mudryk 80’) PA

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  Cesare Casdei N/A

  (On for Palmer 80’) AFP

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  Alfie Gilchrist N/A

  (On for Gusto 88’) Boyhood Chelsea fan smashed home sixth goal just after coming on and his ecstatic reaction and celebration was icing on cake for Blues. AFP

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  Deivid Washington N/A

  (On for Jackson 88’) Reuters

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  Jordan Pickford 4/10

  EVERTON RATINGS: Nightmare evening for England keeper. Conceded six, should have done better than parrying straight to Palmer for second goal while disastrous pass out from back gifted Chelsea attacker his third. ReutersShow less

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  Seamus Coleman 4/10

  Everton's right side of Young and Coleman, with combined age of 73, combined well to provide early chance to Beto but Chelsea were finding gaps behind him at back and was hooked at break. AP

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  James Tarkowski 4/10

  Volleyed cross across box just before break that almost saw Everton pull in back to 3-1 but gave Jackson too much time and space to make it 4-0 not long after. Booked for cynical foul on Jackson. Said afterwards he was "embarrassed" by team's performance. EPAShow less

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  Jarrad Branthwaite 4/10

  Nutmegged by Palmer in run up to Chelsea’s opener and struggled generally in dreadful first-half defensive performance from team. Headed into side netting at other end of pitch from corner just after break but limped off injured before the hour. AFPShow less

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  Vitalii Mykolenko 5/10

  Ukrainian left-back was up against dangerous opponent in Madueke and found going tough at times. Better after half-time, though. AFP

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  Ashley Young 5/10

  Nice cross in 35th minute that Beto headed home from offside position but booked for clear foul on Palmer moments later. Must be up there among the worst nights of his 700-game career. Reuters

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  James Garner 4/10

  Booked for clumsy tackle on Palmer with Everton chasing Chelsea shadows in first half. One of three players taken off at break after dreadful first half for Merseysiders. AFP

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  Amadou Onana 4/10

  Escaped first-minute booking for poor challenge on Gallagher and part of Everton midfield that was given first-half run around so no shock that he failed to appear for second half. Reuters

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  Dwight McNeil 4/10

  Would barely have known he was playing in opening 45 minutes when his impact was non-existent. Failed to change the script in second 45. Reuters

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  Abdoulaye Doucoure 5/10

  Everton’s top-scorer with six goals never got close to adding to that total here. Fouled Palmer that led to same player scoring fifth from spot. AP

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  Beto 5/10

  Turned early chance over bar from close range at 0-0 that probably would have counted despite lineman’s flag. Thought he had pulled one back with first-half header but was well offside. Only Everton player to offer attacking threat. PAShow less

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  Andre Gomes 6/10

  SUBS: (On for Onana 46’) Saw shot deflected wide for corner soon after coming on and was improvement on midfielders in first half, which wasn’t difficult. PA

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  Nathan Patterson 5/10

  (On for Coleman 46’) Nearly scored own goal after Pickford punch hit Jackson then Patterson before going out for corner. Limped off injured in injury-time. AFP

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  Jack Harrison 4/10

  (On for Garner 46’) No impact on game which had already been lost in first half. EPA

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  Michael Keane 5/10

  (On for Brathwaite 56’) Booked for bad tackle on Jackson that was bordering on red card. EPA Ben Godfrey : N/A (On for Patterson 90+2’)

Cole Palmer scored four goals to put Chelsea within touching distance of the Premier League's top six after an impressive 6-0 win over Everton on Monday.

The England international has been a shining light in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Blues and moved level with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland on 20 Premier League goals in the race for the Golden Boot.

Palmer killed the game as a contest as he completed his hat-trick inside 30 minutes before Nicolas Jackson also struck before half time.

A penalty from Palmer and Alfie Gilchrist's first goal for his boyhood club rounded off the scoring in the second half.

Despite an eight-game unbeaten Premier League run, Chelsea remain in ninth but are now just three points adrift of sixth-placed Newcastle with a game in hand.

And it is Palmer who continues to hog the headlines. “He is doing fantastic, he is doing really well and he has adapted himself. The impact on the team was amazing from day one,” said Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino. “I am so happy for him and the team.

“We played some good games, but yes today I am happy with the performance, and we started the game really well. We show a different approach against Sheffield United and we spoke in the week, we improved in different areas – today was the perfect game.”

The one downside was an argument between Chelsea players about who should take the penalty ahead of Palmer's fourth goal.

Both Noni Madueke and Jackson tried to take over spot kick duties before they were forcibly moved away by captain Conor Gallagher and Palmer.

“It's a shame,” said Pochettino. “It's a process for a young team who need to learn a lot. I was talking about this to the player after the game. It's the last time I want to see something like this. I want to apologise to the fans.

“We need to make clear next time that happens. They need to learn and be professional. We need to be focused on the collective. They knew it was Cole; Cole is the taker. It's a clear example that it's a process we still need to learn.”

A demoralising defeat leaves Everton still perilously placed just two points above the relegation zone.

“Be a long debrief that,” said defender James Tarkowski when asked what went wrong. “Underperformed, the most embarrassed I have felt as an individual.

“It shows where we are at today, we can only apologise to the fans who supported us. It is on the players. It is not on the manager and the staff. No excuses on our behalf. We need to brush ourselves down as we have a big few weeks coming up.

“We conceded six goals and you should feel embarrassed.

“Nothing to do with technical aspects, people getting beat and run off and it is hard to summarise it. I have had dark times here but the fans stick by us in the next game so hopefully they’ll be there for us again.”

You can see the player ratings from Monday's game in the gallery above. To move on to the next slide, slick on the arrows or swipe if using a mobile device.