Cole Palmer has heaped praise on Alfie Gilchrist following Chelsea's emphatic victory in over Everton. The former Manchester City midfield fired four past Sean Dyche's side on Tuesday night, guiding the Blues to a 6-0 win.

While Palmer stole the limelight, drawing level with Erling Haaland in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot, Stamford Bridge roared loudest when Gilchrist netted his first senior goal. In the dying embers of the clash, Jordan Pickford denied Ben Chilwell, tipping his strike into the Cobham graduate's path.

Unmarked at the back-post, Gilchrist volleyed the ball into the back of net. Overwhelmed with emotion, the 20-year-old defender wheeled away in celebration and the home faithful leathered the metal hoarding – a sound which has become iconic during evening fixtures at Stamford Bridge over the years.

Shortly before the restart, Glichrist soaked up the moment and watched back his goal on the big screen. In an interview with Sky Sports after the game, Palmer praised the youngster for his work ethic.

"Everyone was buzzing for him," said the England international. "He’s been a Chelsea fan for his whole life. He’s trained with us, puts 100% in every day so everyone is buzzing for him."

Gilchrist added: "It was crazy. I joined in the attack when very rarely I do, but the one time I saw an opportunity, I just concentrated and smashed it as hard as I could."

Then, Palmer joked: "His eyes lit up."

Gilchrist continued, adding: "Every time I have been here as a fan, you look up and you see the replay of other people scoring, so seeing myself there is a dream come true for me and my family."

Speaking to reporters after the game, Pochettino was asked whether he believed Palmer could score 20 goals following his arrival on deadline day in the summer. The Chelsea manager said: "I never judge the player when we signed [him].

"It's always you expect the best. It does not surprise us but of course he is a player that always had the capacity to score goals when he was playing at Manchester City. You were seeing he had the capacity to score easily, no?

"But in the way he adapts himself in the team and the club. The way he is performing, I think it's fantastic. Of course, he is not a top scorer, but he is behaving like a top scorer. He is showing that the club made the right decision finding him."

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