There have been over 200 hat-tricks scored since the start of the Premier League in 1992.
Eric Cantona will go down in history for bagging the first, netting a treble in Leeds United‘s 5-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in August 1992.
Sergio Aguero holds the record for the most hat-tricks in the Premier League with 12 during his time at Manchester City. But not all hat-tricks are happy. And not all hat-tricks result in wins.
Five players have scored a hat-trick in a Premier League game but still ended up on the losing side. We’ve taken a look at those unlucky few — one of whom has managed it twice.
Matt Le Tissier
- Oldham Athletic 4-3 Southampton (8th May 1993)
Few, if any, players in Premier League history can compete with Matt Le Tissier’s goal catalogue. The Southampton legend regularly having his own goal of the season competitions.
And he made history in being the first player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League and end up on the losing side. It actually came on the same that Rod Wallace scored a hat-trick for Leeds against Coventry City in a 3-3 draw, the first occasions that a hat-trick scorer had failed to win a Premier League game.
Southampton travelled to relegation-battling Oldham Athletic on the final day of the season, and the hosts were up for it in their (successful) quest for safety. Le Tissier got his first of the game to equalise in the 34th minute, but by the time he scored his second, Oldham had taken a three-goal lead. Le Tisser completed his hat-trick with five minutes left, the first of his Premier League career. But it couldn’t prevent Southampton from a 4-3 defeat.
Matt Le Tissier
- Southampton 3-4 Nottingham Forest (19th August 1995)
Having scored a hat-trick in a 4-3 loss on the final day of a season, Le Tissier went on to score a hat-trick in a 4-3 loss on the opening day of a season. This came two years later to kick off the 1995/96 campaign, when Southampton hosted Nottingham Forest.
There was something special about this hat-trick too. Le Tissier again had to equalise for Southampton, netting a penalty in the 10th minute. He scored a second penalty midway through the second half, to reduce Southampton’s deficit to one goal after Nottingham Forest had taken a 3-1 lead. Le Tissier completed his hat-trick with just under 10 minutes left, this time from a free-kick, again cutting the deficit to one.
It was the first hat-trick to be scored direct from set-pieces, a feat that has only been copied twice since.
Dion Dublin
- Sheffield Wednesday 4-3 Coventry (4th December 1995)
Dion Dublin scored three hat-tricks in his Premier League career, with the first coming in December 1995. It unfortunately wasn’t enough to help Coventry beat Sheffield Wednesday, try as he might.
Dublin thrice gave the Sky Blues the lead in their trip to Hillsborough, but his team let him down. After Dublin opened the scoring, Coventry’s lead lasted just seven minutes. He got his second in the 37th minute, but Coventry’s lead lasted two minutes. He then completed his hat-trick to put Coventry 3-2 up after 56 minutes. Again, though, Coventry could only hold out for five minutes. And Sheffield Wednesday netted another unanswered goal to take the win.
Dwight Yorke
- Newcastle 4-3 Aston Villa (30th September 1996)
Newcastle United and Aston Villa put together an absolute thriller in one of the last great games of the first Kevin Keegan era. Dwight Yorke was one of the stars of the St James’ Park showdown, scoring the first of four Premier League hat-tricks in his career. But it wouldn’t be one to celebrate for too long.
Yorke got Villa off to the best possible start, opening the scoring after just four minutes. But the lead lasted just one minute, and Newcastle quickly took control of the game, leading 3-1 at half-time. Yorke reduced the deficit on the hour-mark but Newcastle extended their advantage shortly after. The Trinidad and Tobagan striker struck moments after to complete his hat-trick and get Villa back into the game. But the 10-man Villans couldn’t overcome the task, having to settle for the narrow defeat.
Roque Santa Cruz
- Wigan 5-3 Blackburn (15th December 2007)
Just over 10 years had passed before the next losing Premier League hat-trick. And this wasn’t in a 4-3 defeat. Roque Santa Cruz scored the only hat-trick of his Premier League career for Blackburn Rovers in their trip to Wigan Athletic shortly before Christmas in 2007.
It was a thrilling game at the JJB, with the Latics racing to a 3-0 lead after just 36 minutes. But then Santa came early. The Paraguayan striker gave Blackburn hope with a goal on the stroke of half-time, and he added a second five minutes after the break. Santa Cruz completed his hat-trick on the hour-mark, bringing Blackburn from the depths to be level at 3-3. But Marcus Bent — who had scored one of Wigan’s first three — netted two more to complete his own hat-trick.
This game remains the only occasion in Premier League history in which a hat-trick has been scored by both teams.
Brian Brobbey
- Man City 5-3 Sunderland (19th September 2026)
Finally, Brian Brobbey. After almost 20 years without an occasion, the Dutchman unfortunately joined the list of losing hat-trick goalscorers. Interestingly, it was in another 5-3 defeat, mimicking Santa Cruz rather than the other four occasions in this list.
Brobbey kept his Sunderland side close to Manchester City with his first two goals, equalising twice in the first half. But after his second, Man City had scored twice more, racing to a 4-2 lead. Brobbey completed his hat-trick on the hour-mark, giving Sunderland a chance to get back into the game. But Man City would score once more, condemning Sunderland to the defeat and Brobbey to this unfortunate list.