Podolski, Van Persie, Aguero or Torres: Who will be the first Premier League player to score a hat-trick this season?
Seven Premier League players have scored a hat-trick on the opening day of the season, but can anyone join that list this weekend.
Coventry City legend Mickey Quinn was the first man to do it in 1993 when his three goal haul at Arsenal gave the visitors a great start to the new campaign.
Southampton’s Matt Le Tissier joined the list in 1995 but is the only player to have ended the game on the losing side. His heroics were not enough to defeat Nottingham Forest, going down 4-3.
Kevin Campbell was Forest’s hat-trick hero a year later, seeing off Coventry in the process, while Middlesbrough’s Fabrizio Ravenelli stated his intentions to the world as his haul earned Boro a draw against Liverpool.
Dion Dublin got in on the act against Chelsea in 1997 but it took 11 years for someone new to join the list, courtesy of Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor. The Villain took just seven second half minutes in a 4-2 win over Manchester City to put this name in the history books. Chelsea’s Didier Drogba became the seventh player to achieve this feat in 2010 when the Blues put six past West Brom.
But who will score the first hat-trick of this season and can anyone make the magnificent seven into the tremendous eight?
I’ve asked a selection of football fans and Squarefootball writers for their view on this issue and I’ve been surprised by how varied their choices have been.
Bolton’s Dave Blackburn thinks that honour will go to Liverpool’s controversial marksman Luis Suarez.
Manchester City’s Callum Rothwell believes Wayne Rooney could be the man. This view is shared by Sunderland’s Tony Ratton and Celtic’s Jim Barry. Liverpool’s Dave Disciascio agrees, believing Ashley Young’s theatrics could help him achieve his goal.
However, Manchester United’s Alex Richert has a feeling that it will be a Manchester City star claiming the match ball first this season. She is going for the man who broke United hearts in May, Sergio Aguero, and with the champions playing newly promoted Southampton on Sunday she could have a point. Ths view is shared by Everton’s Barry Gregory.
Aston Villa’s Christian Dougherty predicts it will be Chelsea’s under-fire striker Fernandes Torres who will bag that accolade. “Torres will score a hat-trick in the clubs second match of the season against Reading.”
And Manchester City Venz DeZoysa agrees with Christian. “Fernando Torres showed glimpses of his old form at the back of last season and I can really seeing him getting just enough confidence to pull of the classy finishes of old.” A view also shared by Chelsea fan Joe Tyler, while Sunderland’s Sarshar Hossiennia feels Oscar could claim the match ball first, followed by City’s Aguero.
Newcastle’s Greg Hall is tipping the Mags’ Demba Ba to hit a hat-trick against Spurs this evening while West Brom’s Andy Wakeman also believes the Toon hitman will be the first to score a hat-trick.
Squarefootball’s Hugh Larkin believes it may be one of the new boys who shocks the top flight. “I’m going for Ricky Lambert. He’s that sort of player and Saints will be on a buzz.” Unfortunately I can’t see that happening on the opening day away at the champions.
Personally, given that they are the champions, they’re at home on the opening weekend and facing newcomers Southampton, I’m going for either Aguero or Tevez.
Surprisingly no-one had mentioned Robin Van Persie. That may have been to do with the speculation surrounding his future at Arsenal. With the Dutchman now at Manchester United, I wonder how many would have gone for him now?
Well that’s our view, but who do you think will claim the first match ball of the season? We’d love to hear from you.
