Robert Sanchez says Cole Palmer still has another level at Chelsea

Robert Sanchez believes Chelsea have only scratched the surface of what Cole Palmer can deliver this season, despite the forward’s record-breaking hattrick in the 3–1 win over Wolves.

Palmer stole the show at Molineux on Saturday, scoring all three goals before half-time as Chelsea extended their strong domestic form under Liam Rosenior.

Palmer’s performance came after a disrupted first half of the campaign, with the England international missing a significant period through a groin injury and having his minutes carefully managed on return.

Against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 23-year-old reminded everyone of his elite quality. Two calmly taken penalties were followed by a composed finish after excellent work from Marc Cucurella, giving Chelsea a commanding first-half advantage.

The treble placed Palmer into Premier League history. He is now the only player to score three hat-tricks in the first half of matches, while his four league hat-tricks also move him clear of Chelsea icons Didier Drogba, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Frank Lampard.

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was quick to stress that Palmer’s ceiling is even higher.

“He’s brilliant. He’s not even at 100 per cent yet, he has just come back from injury and still managed a hat-trick,” Sanchez said.

“We’re very happy. Everyone knows how good he is, so he needs to keep it up. He’s only going to get better.”

Chelsea were less dominant after the interval, with Tolu Arokodare pulling a goal back, but the result was never in serious doubt.

“It was a great win,” Sanchez added. “The first half was brilliant. In the second half we struggled a little, but at the end of the day we won the game, so I’m very happy.”

While Chelsea have suffered League Cup defeats to Arsenal, Rosenior’s impact elsewhere has been emphatic. The Blues have now won seven of nine matches across the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup since his appointment.

Sanchez highlighted the clarity of the new head coach’s ideas and the mood around the squad.

“It’s brilliant working under Liam. His style is about dominating the ball and he came with positive energy,” he explained.

“The boys have really embraced it, and we’re enjoying it a lot.”

With Chelsea still active on three fronts, Sanchez was keen to underline the need for restraint despite growing momentum.

“There are still a lot of games left. We want to take it game by game and focus on winning,” he said.

“We’re still competing in three tournaments, so we want to do our best in all of them.”

Chelsea turn their attention back to the Premier League schedule, with Rosenior expected to continue carefully managing Palmer’s workload as the fixtures intensify. If the forward maintains fitness, his influence could prove decisive in the closing months of the campaign.

Is Cole Palmer already Chelsea’s most decisive attacker — or is his best football still to come?