Brobbey Makes Premier League History Despite Hat-Trick

Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick in Gameweek 5, but his three goals were not enough to prevent Sunderland from suffering a 5-3 defeat to Manchester City.

The Dutch striker twice brought Sunderland level at the Etihad Stadium before completing his hat-trick in the second half.

Despite Brobbey's remarkable individual performance, Manchester City eventually secured all three points in a thrilling eight-goal contest.

The performance also saw Brobbey enter a rare piece of Premier League history.

He became the first player since Roque Santa Cruz in December 2007 to score a Premier League hat-trick and still finish on the losing side.

Santa Cruz achieved the feat for Blackburn Rovers against Wigan Athletic on December 15, 2007, when Wigan won 5-3 despite the Paraguayan scoring all three of Blackburn's goals.

Brobbey's hat-trick was also Sunderland's first in the Premier League since Jermain Defoe scored three against Swansea City in 2016.

It was therefore a strange night for the Sunderland forward. Three goals would normally be enough to secure at least a point, but Brobbey ended the game with the match ball and nothing to show for his efforts in the league table.

His individual display will still provide encouragement for Sunderland, particularly after he managed to score three times against a Manchester City side that had entered the match with a perfect record.

For Brobbey, however, the historic hat-trick came with the unusual distinction of being celebrated in defeat.