Rampant Cole Palmer leaves Everton in tatters but Chelsea still can’t complete 6-0 win without further embarrassment, writes MATT BARLOW

Everton supporters are accustomed to keeping a calculator close.

In this season of deducted points and financial irregularities, it comes in handy, and at Stamford Bridge it helped them keep track of the score as Cole Palmer cut their defence apart and destroyed their goal difference.

Rampant Palmer scored four, the first three before half an hour had elapsed and the fourth, to make it 5-0 from the penalty spot to reach 20 goals in the Premier League, this season. He has scored 11 goals in his last five home games.

It is tempting to wonder where they would be without him.

For Chelsea, victory made it five out of five on Monday nights this season, but they could not complete victory without a hint of embarrassment, as players bickered over who should take the penalty.

The 21-year-old had netted a perfect hat-trick within half an hour at Stamford Bridge before adding a fourth from 12 yards

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Noni Madueke wanted to take it because he thought he had won it, although it later transpired it had been awarded for an earlier foul on Palmer. Nicolas Jackson, who had scored the fourth of the night just before half time, wanted to take it, too.

Then Palmer stepped forward and took the ball, supported by captain Conor Gallagher.

The home crowd booed as Jackson refused to retreat quietly. Even after Palmer had beaten Jordan Pickford from the spot with his trademark nonchalance, Jackson had to be reminded by Madueke to go and congratulate the scorer. Something he did very reluctantly.

Otherwise, it was a wonderful night for Mauricio Pochettino, capped by a popular sixth, the first of his senior career for Alfie Gilchrist. That went down well with the home crowd as Chelsea closed in on the European places, with a little momentum building.

They may also have stumbled into their best attacking balance, although few opponents will be as accommodating as Everton, for whom injury was added to insult when Jarrad Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson both went off injured in the second half.

Relegation concerns deepen ahead of Sunday’s clash with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, and this hammering means those teams step out at Goodison Park on the same goal difference. Sean Dyche has six days to patch up their confidence as well as battered bodies.

The talisman combined with Nicolas Jackson before producing a sublime finish to put his side in front after 13 minutes

The hosts dominated proceedings in the early going and just minutes after firing Chelsea in front Palmer nodded in a second 

A calamitous error from Jordan Pickford saw the England goalkeeper’s misplaced pass allow Palmer to add a third goal

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured, his deputy Beto managed to put the ball in the net but he was ruled offside

Nicolas Jackson then netted a fourth for the Blues to pile the misery on Sean Dyche’s struggling side before half-time

Everton started brightly and Beto allowed the first chance of the game slide away off his shin. It was not an easy chance but things might have been different had they struck first.

Once Chelsea took the lead, they never looked back. The move started deep in their own penalty area but came to life when Palmer picked up the ball and produced a cheeky nutmeg, through the legs of Branthwaite, then a clever flick to Jackson, who supplied the return pass.

Palmer beat Pickford effortlessly with from the edge of the box with his left foot and almost scored again within a couple of minutes, unable to turn a cross from Madueke into an open goal with his thigh. Instead, it bounced behind him.

The miss looked less costly when he stretched the lead with his second of the night. This time, he was alert, detecting the opportunity when Pickford parried a shot by Jackson, turned on goal after a piercing run down the left by Mykhailo Mudryk

That was 2-0 and Everton’s promising start already seemed a long time ago. Palmer started to roll through his party pieces. There was a no-look volley in midfield. Perhaps that was the flash of skill to prompt a reducer in midfield from James Garner, which earned him a yellow card.

Chelsea’s playmaker appeared unshaken, however, and picked himself up to complete his hat-trick. Again, with another wonderful example of his intelligence and appreciation of all the moving parts of a football game.

It was Pickford’s error on the ball and a gift. Everton’s goalkeeper collected a pass from Branthwaite and tried to thread a pass down the centre of the pitch to Amadou Onana. Palmer read it, eased across and clipped the ball back over Pickford and into an open goal from 35 yards.

This one with his right foot, to go with the left footer and the header. It was a perfect hat trick inside 16 perfect minutes for Pochettino who was without Enzo Fernandez and Raheem Sterling among various others and could not have hoped for a more comprehensive first half.

Everton responded with a flurry. There were opportunities. Beto, leaping in his salmon shirt, found the net but had strayed offside and the flag went up without hesitation. Another ball flashed dangerously across the Chelsea goal.

The home team were certainly not secure at the back but they were by no means as vulnerable as their visitors, who were four down by half time.

There was dissent among the ranks after referee Paul Tierney pointed to the spot following a foul on Palmer

Blues captain Conor Gallagher intervened to restore order and Palmer stepped up to keep his perfect record from the spot

Academy graduate Alfie Gilchrist netted his first goal for the club after coming off the bench to complete the rout

Jackson converted the fourth, gathering a cross from Marc Cucurella with a fabulous touch as it arrived just behind him, then spinning to find the net with his second touch.

Dyche made three changes at half time in desperation and there were flickers of promise before the contest settled back into the same rhythm.

Palmer ought to have stretched the lead when released by Mudryk. Pickford saved with his feet. Then came the penalty and the pathetic squabble. Followed by a standing ovation for four-goal Palmer and Gilchrist’s first goal of his young career.

One step beyond blared out for Chelsea. Six steps back for Everton.