Cole Palmer has matched Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's record of achieving 30 goal contributions in his first season at the club.
The 22-year-old opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge over the weekend, finding the net just 15 minutes into the game before Conor Gallagher and Noni Madueke extended their advantage to 3-0 before the interval.
Nicolas Jackson scored twice in the second half, securing an important victory for the Blues, who are still battling to secure European qualification.
Despite a challenging season for Chelsea, Palmer has emerged as a standout performer and has consistently delivered goals and assists for Mauricio Pochettino's side this term.
Palmer matches longstanding debut season record for Chelsea
Palmer's goal against the Hammers was his 21st in the Premier League this season, and with nine assists to his name, he has now become just the second player in Chelsea's history to achieve 30 goal contributions in their debut season for the club.
The first player to achieve this feat was Hasselbaink, who recorded 23 goals and seven assists during the 2000-01 campaign.
With three games remaining in the season, Palmer is set to surpass this long-standing record.
In addition, the 22-year-old has now equalled the records of two of Chelsea's greatest goalscorers of the modern era, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.
Lampard and Drogba share the record for the most Premier League home goals in a single season for Chelsea, with 16 each. Drogba was the first to achieve the feat during the 2006-07 season, followed by Lampard in 2009-10.
Palmer eyeing up one more record on final day of the season
While Palmer's strike against West Ham brought him level with the Chelsea legends' records, he now has only the upcoming clash against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on the final day of the season to potentially claim the record for himself.
He joined the Blues from Manchester City in a transfer deal valued at £45m and has now become only the third player in Premier League history to achieve 30 or more goal involvements in a single season while aged 21 or younger, following in the footsteps of Robbie Fowler in 1994-95 and 1995-96, and Chris Sutton in 1993-94.
The comprehensive 5-0 victory over the Irons propelled Chelsea to seventh place in the Premier League table, but they will be overtaken by Manchester United if the Red Devils avoid defeat against Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Given Palmer's form this season, along with the potential signing of Victor Osimhen from Napoli in the summer and Christopher Nkunku's expected to return to full fitness, the Blues could be a formidable force next season. body check tags ::
