Cole Palmer is the first Chelsea player to win Premier League Player of the Month for SIX YEARS after stunning with seven goals in April... while Everton's Sean Dyche takes the manager's prize by ensuring safety for the Toffees

Cole Palmer has won his first Premier League Player of the Month award for his performances with Chelsea in April, while Everton's Sean Dyche has been rewarded with the manager's prize.

In four appearances, Palmer led the league in April with his seven goals for the Blues, as well as one assist, and is the first Chelsea player to win the award in six years, since Eden Hazard in September 2018.

Dyche oversaw four wins - including crucial success in the Merseyside derby - and a draw from their six matches in the month to secure Everton's Premier League safety for another season.

Palmer scored in a hat-trick in Chelsea's 4-3 comeback win over Man United, as well as four in a 6-0 victory over Everton - the only game that Dyche's side lost in April. 

The 22-year-old became the first Blues player to score in seven straight Premier League home appearances, and the earliest ever scorer of a Chelsea hat-trick, rounding off his trio within 29 minutes of kick-off against the Toffees.

Against Everton, Palmer became only the fourth Chelsea player to score four in a Premier League game, after Gianluca Vialli, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Frank Lampard. 

While at Manchester City in October 2020, Palmer won the PL2 Player of the Month award, but this is his first time winning the senior prize. 

He is one of eight nominees for the Premier League's Player of the Season after his outstanding efforts for Chelsea since joining in September, as well as on the shortlist for the Young Player award.

Palmer beat Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, Arsenal's Kai Havertz, Man United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Man City centre-back Josko Gvardiol to the April award. 

With his April success, Dyche has won the Manager of the Month award for the third time in his career, having previously won it with Burnley in March 2018 and February 2020.

He is the first Everton boss to claim the award since Carlo Ancelotti in September 2020.

Everton bounced back from the heavy defeat at Stamford Bridge, and saw off Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Brentford in the space of six days across a trio of home games at Goodison Park. 

Dyche told the Everton website: 'I’m very pleased, obviously on behalf of firstly myself, but of my staff and the players, and the fans who have played their part.

'It was a really good run, very pleasing and a tough month of fixtures, especially with one outstanding fixture which didn't go our way, of course. But I think the way the way we performed generally as a group has been very pleasing.'

Arsenal's Mikel Arteta and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola were the other managers nominated for the Manager of the Month award for April.