On Saturday, Erling Haaland will be aiming to achieve a rare feat that has only been accomplished once since 1946. The Manchester City striker has scored hat-tricks in his last two Premier League games, and if he manages to secure another one against Brentford at the Etihad Stadium, he will join a select group of players in a very exclusive club.
Scoring hat-tricks in three consecutive English top-flight matches has only been achieved four times in history, with three of those instances occurring before 1930. Here, we delve into the stories of those four occasions and the players that the 24-year-old Norwegian international is hoping to emulate.
The first player to achieve this remarkable feat was Osborne, Tottenham’s center-forward, in the 1925-26 season. After a goalless campaign the previous year, Osborne found his form following a change in the offside law, which led to higher-scoring matches. He scored hat-tricks in three consecutive games against Liverpool, Leicester City, and West Ham United, becoming the first player in English top-flight history to do so.
Next up is Tom Jennings, who scored three hat-tricks in a row for Leeds United in the early autumn of the 1926-27 season. His scoring prowess helped propel Leeds from 16th place to seventh in the league standings. Jennings finished the season with an impressive tally of 37 goals in all competitions.
Dixie Dean, widely regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers in English football history, achieved the feat in the 1928-29 season for Everton. Dean scored an incredible 60 goals in the First Division, a record that still stands today. He scored hat-tricks in three consecutive games against Burnley, Arsenal, and Bolton Wanderers, solidifying his legendary status in the game.
Lastly, Jack Balmer accomplished the rare feat for Liverpool in 1946. Balmer’s ten goals in three consecutive games played a crucial role in helping Liverpool win the league title that season. Despite his impressive run, Balmer could not maintain his scoring form for the rest of the season.
As Erling Haaland prepares to take on Brentford, there is a sense of anticipation as he aims to join the elite group of players who have achieved three consecutive hat-tricks in English top-flight football history. With his incredible goal-scoring ability and City’s attacking prowess, Haaland has a genuine chance to make history once again.
The possibility of witnessing such a remarkable achievement is a testament to Haaland’s exceptional talent and the electrifying nature of the Premier League. As the football world eagerly awaits the outcome of this weekend’s clash, all eyes will be on Haaland as he looks to etch his name alongside the likes of Osborne, Jennings, Dean, and Balmer in the annals of English football history.
