Evan Ferguson Scores a Sublime Hat-Trick as Brighton Defeat Newcastle 3-1
Although people expected Brighton to beat Newcastle, not even the most fanatic Brighton fans expected their young Irish striker, Evan Ferguson, to score his first career hat trick against the Magpies. To put it into perspective, Brighton had scored 9 goals before their match against Newcastle, and their midfielders and defenders scored 8 out of their 9 goals. Thus, it naturally came as a shock when Evan Ferguson bagged himself a hat trick after only scoring once this season, in their opening match against Luton.
Also Read: Premier League Transfer News Roundup: 2 New Arrivals Join the Best League in the World
Evan Ferguson Scores His Maiden Hat-Trick
Everyone knows football is a game of inches. If one team does not take their opportunity, they can expect their opponents will. Brighton demonstrated this saying flawlessly, as Evan Ferguson capitalised on a mistake by Pope in the 27th and gave Brighton the lead against the run-off play.
After his first goal, Evan Ferguson felt confidence pulsating through his veins as he curled home a superb strike from 25 yards into the bottom left corner. The electrifying teenager, who made his debut at just 14 years of age, felt blood in the water as he sealed the win for Brighton by scoring his first career hat trick via a massive deflection off Fabian Schär.
With the game sealed and done, Evan Ferguson withdrew to a massive standing ovation from the home fans, as he became only the fourth teenager to hit a Premier League hat-trick, joining the likes of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler.
Evan Ferguson Joins the Matchday 3 Hat-Trick Club
It seems every Matchday in the Premier League follows a specific theme, as Matchday 1 saw the superb performance of debutants, and Matchday 2 saw massive controversies with VAR and refereeing. In Matchday 3, we saw dazzling individual performances from Evan Ferguson, Erling Haaland and Son Heung-min as they each scored a hat trick for their clubs.
With that, other than edging himself in Premier League history for being only the fourth teenager to hit a Premier League hat-trick, Evan Ferguson joins the exclusive list of the Matchday 3 hat-trick club, with Erling Haaland and Son Heung-min also scoring a hat trick for their respective clubs. When asked about this feat, Evan Ferguson claimed that Son and Haaland are not bad company to be with.
This triple hat-trick feat marked just the second occurrence of its kind in the Premier League. To put it into better perspective, the last time a similar situation occurred was back in 1995, when Robbie Fowler, Alan Shearer, and Tony Yeboah scored hat tricks for their respective clubs.
Related: Liverpool vs. Bournemouth: The Reds Triumph in 3-1 Win After Early Scare
Roberto De Zerbi’s Official Statement: “Evan Ferguson Can Become a European Scoring Great.”
After scoring 10 goals in his first 12 starts for the club, Roberto De Zerbi did not hold back as he praised Evan Ferguson by stating: “I am happy for him [Ferguson] today, not just for the goals. I am pleased with his performance, especially in the first half. He found the correct positions. Newcastle defended 4-4-1, and there was space for him. He understood where it was. He is working to complete his qualities.”
The Brighton manager continued as he claims Ferguson has the capabilities to become one of the greats of European Football. “He can become big, big, big. His qualities are enough to become a great player. He can become one of the best, the top scorer in Europe. He was born in 2004, he is 18. I do not know how many players who are young and can score like him.”
Roberto De Zerbi was not the only one praising Evan Ferguson, as Premier League Legend Gary Lineker claims he sees similarities between the youngster and Haaland. “I do see a hint of Haaland about him. His stature, his movement, stuff like that and his youth too.”
Brighton Is on the Rise, While Newcastle Is on the Drop
After their disappointing loss to West Ham, many fans jumped on the bandwagon of their demise. With them bouncing back phenomenally against Newcastle today, it is safe to say their downfall was severely exaggerated. While the fans of the top six clubs might not love hearing this, Brighton is a massive threat and will pose problems not just this season but also in the future, as their style of football and recruitment strategy are sights to behold.
On the other hand, Newcastle has plummeted after their opening day 5-0 devastation of Aston Villa. After only losing five times in the top flight during the whole of last season, Newcastle are on a three-game losing streak, with the game against Liverpool the most devastating loss. Life does not improve for the Magpies as they will face the likes of Milan, PSG and Dortmund after getting drawn in the Champions League group of death.
How will Brighton and Newcastle fair in the upcoming months, and will they get their hands on silverware? We love to hear your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to follow our page and other related sites for more sports-related news.