Palmer nets 4 first-half goals, Haaland kept scoreless and Arsenal leaves it late to beat Leicester

Chelsea knew it was getting a talented player by signing Cole Palmer from Manchester City last year.

But maybe not this good.

Palmer created some history on Saturday when he became the first player to score four goals in the first half of an English Premier League match. His flurry of strikes came in Chelsea's 4-2 win over Brighton that further strengthened the belief that the London team will be a force this season after spending more than $1 billion on players over the past two years.

Palmer was one of the club's expensive signings — he cost at least 40 million pounds ($50.7 million) — but that looks a bargain now. His 22 league goals last season was second only to Man City's Erling Haaland and also included a four-goal haul against Everton, and he is already up to six goals in this campaign in just six games.

Palmer is also a regular in England's squad, scoring the team's goal in the 2-1 loss to Spain in the European Championship final in July.

How City could have done with having Palmer a few hours earlier on Saturday, when the champion drew at Newcastle 1-1 to drop points for the second straight weekend. Haaland was kept scoreless in a league game for the first time this season and stayed on 10 goals. Defender Josko Gvardiol netted for City instead.

Arsenal took advantage of its big rival’s slip-up by beating Leicester 4-2 thanks to two stoppage-time goals — an own-goal and a close-range finish by Kai Havertz.

Arsenal joined first-place City on 14 points but both could be overtaken if Liverpool beat Wolverhampton away in the late game.

Brentford became the first Premier League team to score inside the first minute in three straight games, but couldn't hold on after Bryan Mbeumo's strike and drew with West Ham 1-1.

Everton gained its first win of the season in beating Crystal Palace 2-1 and Fulham won at Nottingham Forest 1-0, with Mexico striker Raul Jimenez scoring in a third straight game.

It was City’s first league match since influential midfielder Rodri was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury sustained in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal last weekend and the champions were far from their fluid best without the Ballon d'Or contender.

Haaland barely got a chance at St. James’ Park, so couldn't tie the record of City great Sergio Aguero in scoring in each of his first six games of a Premier League season.

Gvardiol was a frequent scorer late last season in his forays forward and put City ahead in the 35th minute, collecting Jack Grealish’s inside pass before cutting inside onto his weaker right foot and shooting low into the corner.

Anthony Gordon converted a penalty for Newcastle’s equalizer in the 58th after the England winger — playing as the central striker in the absence of the injured Alexander Isak — was tripped by City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes after running through on goal.

Arsenal's players were left dejected by conceding a stoppage-time equalizer at City last weekend.

Six days later, they were celebrating late goals after Leicester, a promoted team without a win so far, threatened to pull off an unlikely draw at Emirates Stadium from two goals down.

Gabriel Martinelli and Trossard scored for Arsenal in the first half, only for the Gunners' usually obdurate defense to surprisingly let in two goals by Leicester right back James Justin. Justin's second was a stunning volley with the outside of his right foot that went in off the far post.

Arsenal went back in front in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Leandro Trossard volleyed a deep corner by Bukayo Saka toward goal, though it needed a deflection off Wilfred Ndidi to find a way into the net. Havertz bundled in the fourth in the ninth minute of added-on time.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Chelsea's Cole Palmer (centre) celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game with team-mates during a British Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Brighton at Stamford Bridge, London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Cole Palmer, right, celebrates with his teammate Malo Gusto after scoring his side's 3rd goal during a British Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Brighton at Stamford Bridge, London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, left, celebrates with teammate Jack Grealish after scoring his side's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon goes to ground after a foul by Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon shoots to score the equalizing goal from a penalty spot during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring the equalizing goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland, left, battles for the ball with Newcastle United's Dan Burn, center, and Lewis Hall during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Dan Burn, left, and Manchester City's Erling Haaland battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to revive his struggling government but faced growing calls to resign after a disastrous set of local and regional elections for his Labour Party.

As the final results came in Saturday, Labour suffered a net loss of more than 1,100 local council seats across England, lost control of several local authorities it had held for decades and was booted from power in Wales after 27 years. Anti-immigration party Reform UK gained over 1,300 seats across England and made significant gains in legislative elections in Wales and Scotland.

It was a blunt verdict from voters in elections widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he led the center-left party to power less than two years ago.

Here are five things we’ve learned from the elections.

Starmer insisted he would not walk away and "plunge the country into chaos,” and the dire election results did not produce an immediate challenge to his leadership.

"The right thing to do is rebuild and show the path forward,” Starmer said Saturday. “That’s what I’m going to do in the coming days.”

Starmer’s Cabinet colleagues expressed support, and none of the high-profile Labour politicians considered potential challengers has made a move. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham are keeping quiet for now.

But a growing number of Labour lawmakers urged the prime minister to set a timetable for his departure this year. British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a new election.

“There has to be a timetable,” legislator Clive Betts told the BBC. Another lawmaker, Tony Vaughan, said there should be an “orderly transition of leadership.”

Starmer tried to demonstrate change on Saturday by bringing back two figures from past Labour governments. He made former Prime Minister Gordon Brown a special envoy on global finance, and appointed the party's ex-deputy leader Harriet Harman an adviser on women and girls.

Starmer is due to make a speech on Monday in an attempt to regain momentum, before the government sets out its legislative plans on Wednesday in a speech delivered by King Charles III at the State Opening of Parliament.

The elections were a breakthrough for Reform UK, the latest hard-right party led by the veteran nationalist politician Nigel Farage.

Running on an anti-establishment and anti-immigration message, the party won hundreds of local council seats in working-class areas in England’s north, such as Sunderland, that were solid Labour turf for decades. It also made gains from the Conservatives in areas like the county of Essex, east of London, and increased its vote share in Wales and Scotland, new terrain for the party.

Farage said the results marked a “historic change in British politics.” He said he's confident that “voters who have come to us are not doing it as a short-term protest.”

Reform UK currently holds just eight of the 650 seats in the House of Commons and it’s unclear whether it could repeat its success in a national election.

The elections produced semiautonomous administrations in Scotland and Wales led by parties devoted to independence and the breakup of the United Kingdom — though neither has that policy on the front burner.

The Scottish National Party, which has governed in Edinburgh since 2007, won another term but fell short of a majority, meaning an independence referendum is unlikely. Labour and Reform tied in a distant second place.

Plaid Cymru (The Party of Wales) won the most seats in the Cardiff-based legislature, the Senedd. The party, which has an ambition for Wales to leave the U.K. but no plan to do so anytime soon, fell short of a majority but will likely form the new government. Reform came second and Labour a distant third in one of its most historic heartlands, with outgoing First Minister Eluned Morgan losing her seat.

The economy lies at the heart of Labour’s troubles, as it does for many incumbent governments.

Since ending 14 years of Conservative rule roiled by austerity and the COVID-19 pandemic, Labour has struggled to ease the cost of living and jump-start a sluggish economy against the tough economic backdrop of war in Ukraine and, more recently, Iran. Starmer also has angered supporters with attempts to cut welfare spending, some of which were reversed after Labour revolts.

Some in Labour say the government's achievements, including protections for renters and a higher minimum wage, are going unnoticed. Many blame Starmer, an uninspiring leader distracted by scandals including his disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.

But Stephen Houghton, the outgoing leader of Barnsley council in northern England, where Labour lost to Reform, said the problem “goes deeper than the prime minister.”

“This has been coming for 30 years around the country, in post-industrial communities, coastal communities, that have been left behind,” he said. “You can change prime ministers all day long. If you don’t change policy, it’s not going to change.”

The results reflect a fragmentation of U.K. politics after decades of domination by Labour and the Conservative Party, which also suffered major losses on Thursday.

The elections offered voters a rainbow of choices, including the centrist Liberal Democrats and the nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales.

But the big winners were populist insurgents, Reform UK and the Green Party, whose focus has expanded from the environment to social justice and the Palestinian cause under self-described “eco populist” leader Zack Polanski. The Greens won hundreds of council seats from Labour in urban centers and university towns and took control of several local authorities.

Tony Travers, professor of government at the London School of Economics, said the results suggest the next national election, due by 2029, won’t produce a majority for any party.

“So then you’re in the world of, after the election, two or three big minority parties trying to work out how they would govern,” he said — something traditionally considered “very un-British.”

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking to the media after meeting Labour Party members during a visit to AFC Wimbledon in south London, Saturday May 9, 2026. (Maja Smiejkowska/PA via AP)

First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney with some of the newly elected SNP MSPs in Edinburgh, Saturday May 9, 2026, following the 2026 Holyrood elections. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy meeting Labour Party members during a visit to AFC Wimbledon in south London, Saturday May 9, 2026. (Maja Smiejkowska/PA via AP)

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking to the media after meeting Labour Party members during a visit to AFC Wimbledon in south London, Saturday May 9, 2026. (Maja Smiejkowska/PA via AP)

Observers from the Scottish National Party (SNP) watch as votes are counted for the 2026 Holyrood elections, at Dewars Centre in Perth, Scotland, Friday May 8, 2026. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks to supporters at Chelmsford City Racecourse, Friday May 8, 2026, in Essex, England, following the 2026 local election results. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks to Labour Party members at Kingsdown Methodist Church Hall, in Ealing, west London, Friday May 8, 2026, a day after the local elections. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)