Patrick Bamford’s maiden Premier League hat-trick saw him write himself into the record books as Leeds United ran out winners against a previously unbeaten Aston Villa side with a rampant second-half performance.
The striker notched all the goals for the visitors as Marcelo Bielsa’s side returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory at Villa Park that brought Dean Smith’s hosts’ perfect start to the new campaign to a grinding halt.
It marked only the second competitive hat-trick of the forward’s career, having notched his first just over two years ago against his current club for Middlesbrough, and saw him join a select group of legends including Eric Cantona and Gordon Strachan in achieving the feat in the Premier League for the Whites.
The 27-year-old also saw his haul match multiple club records, becoming only the second player to score in each of their opening three away games in a top-flight league season, after Gordon Hodgson managed the same in the 1937-38 campaign.
In addition, Bamford became the first Leeds player to score more than once in an away Premier League match since both Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell notched three and two respectively in a 6-1 drubbing of Charlton Athletic in April 2003.
His six goals across the first half-dozen games of a Premier League season meant that he further equalled Cantona’s achievements from the 1992-93 season, matching the Frenchman’s long-standing record – and he has helped United to match the record for most goals by a newly promoted club across the same opening period, matching Middlesbrough from the same campaign.
On a more local level, Bamford also became only the fifth player to score an away hat-trick at Villa Park, following in the footsteps of Chris Sutton (1997-98), Robbie Fowler (1998-99), Gareth Bale (2012-13) and Sergio Aguero (2019-20).
It caps a remarkable start to the campaign for the former Chelsea man and former England youth international, whose run of form across the opening weeks of the season could see him emerge as a dark horse contender for Gareth Southgate’s England plans ahead of next month’s Nations League matches against Belgium and Iceland.
Bamford was previously in Southgate’s squad for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship but ultimately missed out due to injury.
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