Palmer reaches 50 Premier League goals in 105 games

Cole Palmer scored his 50th Premier League goal for Chelsea with a penalty against Manchester United, reaching the milestone in just 105 games. He is the third-quickest player in Chelsea's Premier League era to get there.

The 24-year-old's spot-kick on Saturday was his third league goal of the campaign. Only Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Diego Costa and Palmer himself stand ahead of the pace set by the club's fastest scorers in the competition's history.

Chelsea's website ranked the five fastest Blues to the milestone. Hasselbaink leads with 84 games, having scored 23 goals in his debut season, when he also won the Golden Boot. The Dutch striker arrived from Atletico Madrid for a club-record fee.

Diego Costa is second with 85 games, reaching 50 midway through his third and final campaign at the club. The Spaniard was the focal point of Premier League title wins in 2015 and 2017.

Palmer's ratio of almost a goal every other league game is notable because, unlike the others on the list, he is not a striker. He scored 22 goals in his first campaign.

Didier Drogba reached 50 in 106 appearances, going on to finish with 104 Premier League goals. Eidur Gudjohnsen completed the half-century in 153 outings, the slowest of the five, and played a key role in back-to-back title successes in the mid-2000s.