Football’s Greatest Hat-Tricks No.4
I am writing about this hat-trick 23 years to the day since Dennis Bergkamp scored it. It could have featured as today’s ‘On This Day’ article but I felt that it was more deserving in the ‘Football’s Greatest Hat-Tricks’ category.
The hat-trick came in Arsenal’s fourth match of their 1997/98 season in a 3-3 draw away to Leicester City. This was Arsene Wenger’s first full season in charge at Highbury and he had a very busy summer, bringing in eight new players. The club would go on and win the League and Cup Double that season, for the firsrt time since 1970/71.
Arsenal had won their last two games against Coventry City and Southampton after a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the season against Leeds United.
Dennis Bergkamp had scored a fine goal in the 3-1 away to Southampton, taking the ball down on his chest near the halfway line before running at the Southampton defence and powering a low shot into the corner of the net. Pundits already claimed that it was a contender for Goal of the Month for August.
The Gunners travelled to Filbert Street, the former home of Leicester City, four days after the victory over Southampton. It was to be a memorable night for everyone who were there to witness the game.
Dennis Bergkamp opened the scoring with a fantastic shot from the edge of the box from a short corner by David Platt. The Dutchman was left unmarked about 20 yards from goal and had time and space to look up and hit a powerful dipping shot into the top corner. Leicester keeper Kasey Keller was left standed as the ball cannoned off the stanchion in the top corner of the net.
Bergkamp added a second after the interval, charging after a through ball by Patrick Vieira. He ran in between a gap in the Leicester defence and hit the ball over Keller who had dived at his feet. The ball looped up high in the air before dropping under the crossbar.
Emile Heskey then scrambled in a goal for Leicester to make the score 2-1 before Matt Elliott hit an equaliser from the edge of the penalty area. This caused pandemonium from the home supporters who were delighted that their side had come back from two goals down.
Dennis Bergkamp completed his hat-trick with seconds remaining with one of the greatest goals ever seen in the Premier League.
David Platt dinked a through ball over the Leicester defence. Bergkamp stuck out his right foot and controlled the ball just inside the penalty area with Leicester’s Spencer Prior close by. With a pull back with his left foot, Bergkamp was able to take the ball past Prior and he placed the ball into the far corner beyond the despairing dive of Kasey Keller.
Unbelievably, there was still time for Leicester City to find an equaliser but Bergkamp’s hat-trick lives longer in the memory. It’s a real shame that the magnificent third goal wasn’t the winning goal but it did win the August Goal of the Month award. His first goal of the game finished as runner up with the goal against Southampton finished third.
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