Celebrating Nwankwo Kanu and Other Iconic Arsenal Hat-Tricks
On October 23, 1999, Nwankwo Kanu etched his name into Arsenal history. With the Gunners trailing 2-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, his extraordinary hat-trick managed to single-handedly turn the game around.
It's
most memorable for his outrageous final goal, in which he took the ball
around goalkeeper Ed de Goey on the byline before sending a shot arcing
improbably into the far top corner.
Kanu's
hat-trick has since become the stuff of legend among Gunners fans—but
which are the most memorable trebles in modern Arsenal history?
Bleacher Report countdowns the most iconic hat-tricks of the past two decades.
7. Robin van Persie vs. Chelsea, October 29, 2011
Robin
van Persie may not be too popular among the Arsenal fans these days,
but back in 2011 they sung his name with gusto after his hat-trick
helped the Gunners to another big away win at Chelsea.
Arsenal
ultimately won the game 5-3, with Van Persie's deadly finishing
arguably the biggest difference between the sides. It was a particularly
astonishing result given that it came just weeks after the Gunners' 8-2
humbling at Old Trafford.
Van
Persie's first goal couldn't have been simpler—when Gervinho was played
through on goal, the Ivorian squared for his fellow forward to tap in.
His second is still recalled fondly by Arsenal fans, as John Terry
slipped at the crucial moment, allowing the Dutchman to race through on
goal and round Petr Cech.
Van
Persie put the icing on the cake with seconds to go, breaking free on
the left-hand side before sending a stunning shot inside Cech's near
post.
6. Thierry Henry vs. AS Roma, November 27, 2002
Back
in 2002, Arsenal generally struggled to convert their dominance of the
English game into convincing European performances. However, on this
occasion against AS Roma, Thierry Henry produced a masterclass to net a superb Champions League hat-trick.
It
began with a classic Henry goal. Receiving the ball from Gilberto Silva
in his favoured inside-left channel, he opened his body up before
sending a beautiful shot curling beyond the goalkeeper and into the far
corner.
The
next goal was all about reaction times and snapshot finishing—when his
attempted header rebounded off the defender, Henry was quickest to the
ricochet and powered a left-footed effort past the goalkeeper before he
had time to move.
Henry saved the best until last, bending a brilliant free-kick into the top corner to secure the matchball.
5. Andrey Arshavin vs. Liverpool, April 21, 2009
Andrey
Arshavin is the only man on this list to go one better than a
hat-trick. The Russian scored every single one of Arsenal's goals in
this enthralling 4-4 draw.
Arshavin started by tucking home a Cesc Fabregas
cross, before striking twice in the space of three second-half minutes.
First, he lashed in a swerving drive from the edge of the box, before
capitalising on defensive hesitation to volley past the helpless Pepe
Reina.
The fourth goal took the breath away. With title-chasing Liverpool desperate to find a winner, Theo Walcott
broke away and squared to Arshavin. Showing surprising speed and
stamina, the Russian steadied himself before launching a left-footed
rocket beyond Reina.
A
late Liverpool equaliser took some of the shine off Arshavin's
remarkable achievement, but this remained his finest performance in an
Arsenal shirt.
4. Thierry Henry vs. Wigan Athletic, May 7, 2006
It
was fitting that the final match at Highbury was marked by an Henry
hat-trick. The man who would ultimately succeed Ian Wright as Arsenal's
greatest goalscorer racked up three goals to ensure the atmosphere at
the last match at the stadium was joyful rather than funereal.
It
was an important hat-trick, too—Henry's goals helped Arsenal to secure
fourth place and with it qualification for the Champions League. At a
time when the Gunners were having to find a way to pay for a new ground,
that European revenue was invaluable.
Henry's
final goal was a penalty, and after scoring it he fell to his knees and
kissed the Highbury turf. It was the perfect way to say goodbye.
3. Nwankwo Kanu vs. Chelsea, October 23, 1999
One
goal against Chelsea can instantly make an Arsenal player a fan
favourite. Kanu's hat-trick, which turned the match on his head and
brought the Gunners a stunning victory, made him a legend.
Looking back on his historic hat-trick, Kanu told the Mirror:
"Whenever
everybody sees me and it is something to do with Chelsea, even the fans
in Nigeria, they are always trying to curse me and say, 'Why did you
score that goal?’
"But then the Arsenal fans are happy. They always remind Chelsea fans ‘Can you remember what Kanu did against your team?’
"You live with that. If you ask me the greatest goal I have ever scored, that is what I would say."
For any Arsenal fans there that day, it might well be the greatest goal they ever saw in the flesh.
2. Dennis Bergkamp vs. Leicester City, August 27, 1997
There
can't have been many hat-tricks scored that were technically quite as
brilliant as the one Dennis Bergkamp produced against Leicester City.
He
laid down a marker by curling a beautiful shot into the far top corner.
Then he raced clear of the defence to clip a second over an advancing
goalkeeper.
However, it
was all about his incredible third goal. Bergkamp pulled a floated ball
out of the sky, turned brilliantly inside Matt Elliott, and lifted his
shot into the top corner.
It
was one of those classic Bergkamp moments that showcased imagination,
intelligence and unreal ability—and has made this hat-trick particularly
iconic for Arsenal fans and disciples of the Dutchman's brilliance.
1. Thierry Henry vs. Liverpool, April 4, 2004
Some
hat-tricks are significant because of the quality of certain goals.
Alternatively, some are remembered because they played a crucial role in
a team's season. This extraordinary hat-trick from Henry ticked both
boxes.
When Arsenal
faced Liverpool in April 2004, they had just been dumped out of the FA
Cup and the Champions League. The treble they dreamed of had gone—and
they were in danger of letting the Premier League slip away, too.
Henry
was determined to stop that happening. His piece de resistance in this
hat-trick was a breathtaking slalom through the Liverpool defence that
left Jamie Carragher on his backside.
Henry scored nine hat-tricks in the course of his Arsenal career. This was among the best—and certainly the most important.
James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and follows the club from a London base.
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