Palmer nets 4 first-half goals, Haaland kept scoreless and Liverpool goes top of the Premier League

Chelsea knew it was getting a talented player by signing Cole Palmer from Manchester City last year.

But maybe not this good.

Palmer created some history on Saturday when he became the first player to score four goals in the first half of an English Premier League match. His flurry of strikes came in Chelsea's 4-2 win over Brighton that further strengthened the belief that the London team will be a force this season after spending more than $1 billion on players over the past two years.

Palmer was one of the club's expensive signings — he cost at least 40 million pounds ($50.7 million) — but that looks a bargain now. His 22 league goals last season was second only to Man City's Erling Haaland and also included a four-goal haul against Everton, and he is already up to six goals in this campaign in just six games.