By Tony Attwood (with profound thanks to “The Gunners” by Richard Lerman and David Brown).
The greatest hat trick by an Arsenal man? Who knows. That’s the problem with digital television – it wasn’t invented early enough.
But if it were possible to go back in a time machine, the hat trick on 27 August 1997 by Dennis Bergkamp is surely going to be in the top three, if not securely finding its place in the top one. Yes of course Ted Drake scoring seven on 14 December 1935 also deserves a mention, but I don’t know enough about each goal to rate them in quality. In quantity Ted wins hands down. In quality?
To give a bit of context for the Bergkamp treble, in the 1977/8 season Arsenal signed Upson, Grimmandi, Boa Morte, Overmars, Petit, Manninger… Merson went to Middlesbrough. Overall the season went rather well, as you probably know.
We started out on 9 August 1997, away to Leeds. The result was 1-1, with Wright scoring. Wright scored the next two as well, at home to Coventry City on 11 August which left him one goal away from equalling Bastin’s record for the number of goals. But it didn’t come at once, as Dennis Bergkamp got two and Marc Overmars got his first, in the next match against Southampton away, on on 23 August.
So two wins and a draw as we went to Leicester. Wright must have fancied his chances as Leicester had been a mid-table side in 1996/7 although to be fair they were going well at the start of the new season having had wins against Villa and Liverpool (away) and a 0-0 draw with Manchester United.
The table showed Blackburn top, followed by Arsenal, Man U, and Leicester. (It is perhaps interesting to pause for the benefit of people who think that the first results of the season is vital. Arsenal ended up top, Man U second, Liverpool – already beaten by Leicester as we have noted – came third, Blackburn sixth and Leicester 10th).
But back to this day, Leicester v Arsenal. Bergkamp was booked on 8 minutes for nothing much at all. Then he scored the first. In the second half he lobbed the keeper when it looks like the ball is getting away from him. But it is the third goal that stands out in the annals of history. Ball over the shoulder, a controlling take down, a dummy for the sake of the defender, a touch and a ball into the corner.
To try and even things up the ref let play go on until the 96th minute and the match was drawn as Leicester took the advantage the ref gave. Arsenal players protested at the extra six minutes, Wright was booked for touching the ref, and the media focussed on that rather than the football. At least Martin O’Neill had the grace to admit that when Bergkamp scored the third it was all he could do to stop himself applauding.
You can see a video of the goals here.
Elsewhere….
The books…
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal FC: crowd behaviour at the early matches
Recent Posts
- Season openings can be so frustrating
- Jérémie Aliadière; helped expose the rise of dubious refereeing
- Tommy Docherty; Arsenal player, jobbing manager
- Lionel Smith; Arsenal 1939 to 1955
From the matches I can remember I would have to agree – class!
I think Kanu’s hat trick against Chelsea is the greatest ever by an arsenal player. We were 2-0 down and he levelled,and improvised a clinical finish for a third and match-clincher.
The greatest hatrick by an arsenal player was thierry henry vs liverpool in 2004.i for its importance in our season i will say its number 1
While I would never dispute the exploits of DB10, an all-time Arsenal legend, one of the most dramatic hat tricks was Kanu’s on the 23rd October 1999 against Chelsea. Arsenal 2 down and a victory clutched from the jaws of defeat….in 15 minutes!
I agree with Nikki, Kanu’s hattrick against Chelsea was mind blowing considering we were losing 2-0 and he only came on for the last 15minutes. One of the goals was nearly scored from the actual goal line near the corner flag. For me that was hair raising stuff. No booky in the world could have predicted that.
Baptiste’s against Liverpool and arshavin’s against Liverpool were great too. Dennis bergkamps against the foxes was just pure sublime.
Whilst DB10’s hat-trick was sublime (and still gives me goose bumps when I watch it now)I have to agree that Kanu’s hat-trick has to be the more sensational, given all of the circumstances. It will live in my memory forever. I flew out from Heathrow that day (to visit my old man who lived in Oz) when we were 2-0 down, resigning myself to a defeat. When we landed in Sydney 24 hours later I will never forget the look on my old man’s face as he told me of the Kanu inspired comeback!! Great days indeed.