SM
Greece vs. England: 3 hrs 43 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Top five unlikely Premier League hat-trick scorers

:Headline: Top five unlikely Premier League hat-trick scorers: ID:130126: from db_amp
Following Adam Johnson's exploits on Saturday, Sports Mole picks out five other surprising Premier League hat-trick scorers.

With the greatest of respect to Adam Johnson, you could have walked into the majority of betting shops at the weekend and been told to name your own odds on the Sunderland winger scoring a hat-trick against Fulham.

To his credit, the 26-year-old did just that at Craven Cottage as the Black Cats recorded what could prove to be a crucial 4-1 victory against their fellow strugglers.

Johnson, though, is not the only unlikely candidate to have scored three times in one Premier League match. Below, Sports Mole has picked out five other players who unexpectedly ended a game in possession of the match ball.

1. Fredi Bobic
In 2002, Bobic had fallen out favour at Borussia Dortmund and consequently was allowed to join Bolton Wanderers, who were fighting for Premier League survival, on loan. It took 10 matches for the German to score his first goal for Wanderers during a clash with Aston Villa, but just two games later he went goal crazy! He scored three during the first half against Ipswich Town, helping his side to a 4-1 win in the process. The striker didn't score again for the club, although he still remains the last Bolton player to net a hat-trick.

2. Jermaine Pennant
Arsenal paid £2m to sign a teenage Pennant from Notts County in 1999, but it wasn't until May 2003 that he would make his first start in the Premier League. Dubbed a future England international, it didn't take the winger long to make an impact as he scored three goals in a 25-minute spell. However, those would be his only goals for Arsenal, who sold him to Birmingham City two years later.

3. Steve Watson
Everton manager David Moyes moved Watson from defence into midfield for Leeds United's visit to Goodison Park in September 2003. The decision was rewarded when the former England youth international scored a hat-trick, all of the goals coming from very composed finishes that left Paul Robinson in the away goal with no chance.

4. David Bentley
Not since Queens Park Rangers striker Dennis Bailey in 1992 had a player scored a hat-trick against Manchester United, but Bentley ended a 14-year wait on what was his first outing since his permanent switch from Arsenal to Blackburn Rovers had been confirmed. The winger had only scored three senior goals prior to this match.

5. Somen Tchoyi
After 47 minutes of their final match of the season against West Bromwich Albion in May 2011, Newcastle United were 3-0 up at St James' Park and seemingly cruising to a victory. However, visiting midfielder Tchoyi struck on three occasions during the final 25 minutes, which saw Newcastle drop three places in the standings, costing the club a hefty £2.4m in prize money.

amp_article__130126 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2014-01-14 01:17:17:
html db last update - 2014-01-14 01:17:17 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Adam Johnson

Click here for more stories about Arsenal

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .