Chelsea4 - 2Brighton

Since leaving Manchester City to move to Stamford Bridge, Palmer has delivered on his potential with a wide array of eye-catching displays.

Although he netted a hat-trick against Manchester United and four goals versus Everton in April, the 22-year-old's most notable performance came in the fixture with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.

Despite the Blues initially falling behind, Palmer responded with an astonishing four-goal contribution in the space of 20 first-half minutes.

In becoming the first player to pull off such a feat in the Premier League, the England international scored a range of goals including a penalty and a 25-yard free kick.

Palmer would have been disappointed not to add to his tally after the break, yet he had played the pivotal part in Chelsea's 4-2 victory in the capital.

"The best player in the Premier League"

Speaking to reporters at a press conference after the game, Maresca waxed lyrical about Palmer, both in terms of his ability on the pitch and his mentality off it.

The Italian said: "The best thing he has is that the way he is today is exactly how he was three or four years ago.

"Goals, assists, best player in the Premier League, this doesn't change the way he is. He's a simple guy, a humble guy, and this is the most important thing.

"Today in football, young players change very quick. They score one goal and they think they are already [special]. Cole scored many goals, many assists, he's a top player but he's never changed.

"He's a special player, a simple guy, a humble guy. You can see clearly how good he is."

What next for Palmer?

Palmer would ideally have liked to have tried to pick up where he left off on Saturday when Chelsea play host to Gent in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.

However, Maresca has made the decision to rest Palmer from the league phase of that competition in the hope that it keeps him fresher during the back end of what could prove to be an exhausting campaign.

He has currently played 506 minutes in the Premier League, contributing an incredible six goals and four assists from his six starts in the competition.

His next outing is in line to be the home encounter against Nottingham Forest next Sunday.