Only five players have scored a Premier League hat-trick and still finished on the losing side, with Brian Brobbey becoming the latest member of this unwanted club in 2026.
Scoring three goals normally guarantees at least one point. On six extraordinary occasions, however, even a hat-trick was not enough. Matt Le Tissier suffered this fate twice, while Dion Dublin, Dwight Yorke, Roque Santa Cruz and Brobbey have each experienced it once.
Last updated: 21 September 2026.
Premier League Hat-Tricks Scored in Defeat
| Player | Club | Match | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Brobbey | Sunderland | Manchester City 5–3 Sunderland | 2026/27 |
| Roque Santa Cruz | Blackburn Rovers | Wigan Athletic 5–3 Blackburn Rovers | 2007/08 |
| Dwight Yorke | Aston Villa | Newcastle United 4–3 Aston Villa | 1996/97 |
| Dion Dublin | Coventry City | Sheffield Wednesday 4–3 Coventry City | 1995/96 |
| Matt Le Tissier | Southampton | Southampton 3–4 Nottingham Forest | 1995/96 |
| Matt Le Tissier | Southampton | Oldham Athletic 4–3 Southampton | 1992/93 |
There are six hat-tricks in the table but only five different players. Le Tissier remains the only footballer to have scored three times in two separate Premier League defeats.
1. Brian Brobbey – Manchester City 5–3 Sunderland
Brian Brobbey became the first player for almost 19 years to score a Premier League hat-trick in defeat when Sunderland lost 5–3 at Manchester City on 20 September 2026.
Brobbey equalised twice before completing his hat-trick to reduce City’s lead to 4–3. Sunderland threatened another equaliser, but Rúben Dias made a vital goal-line clearance and Erling Haaland eventually sealed the result.
The Dutch striker also became Sunderland’s first Premier League hat-trick scorer since Jermain Defoe in 2016. Brobbey’s three goals repeatedly brought Sunderland back into a contest they ultimately could not save.
2. Roque Santa Cruz – Wigan Athletic 5–3 Blackburn Rovers
Wigan raced into a 3–0 lead before Roque Santa Cruz began Blackburn’s comeback shortly before half-time. The Paraguayan added two more after the break to complete his hat-trick and make the score 3–3.
Marcus Bent then scored twice more for Wigan, completing his own hat-trick and giving the home side a 5–3 victory. It remains the only Premier League match in which players from both teams have scored three goals.
The ESPN match record lists Santa Cruz’s goals in first-half stoppage time and the 50th and 61st minutes.
3. Dwight Yorke – Newcastle United 4–3 Aston Villa
Dwight Yorke gave Aston Villa an early lead at St James’ Park, but Newcastle responded through two Les Ferdinand goals and another from Alan Shearer.
Villa were reduced to ten men when Mark Draper was sent off, yet Yorke scored twice more after half-time to complete his hat-trick. He also had a possible fourth goal ruled out for offside as Newcastle held on for a 4–3 victory.
Yorke’s finishing offered an early glimpse of the ability that would later make him a treble winner with Manchester United.
4. Dion Dublin – Sheffield Wednesday 4–3 Coventry City
Dion Dublin put Coventry ahead three separate times during their visit to Hillsborough in December 1995. He scored in the 18th and 37th minutes before completing his hat-trick ten minutes after half-time.
Coventry’s defence could not preserve any of those leads. Marc Degryse made it 3–3 before Mark Bright scored Sheffield Wednesday’s winner in the 73rd minute.
Both clubs went on to avoid relegation, although neither secured safety until the closing weeks of the season.
5. Matt Le Tissier – Southampton 3–4 Nottingham Forest
Matt Le Tissier scored all three Southampton goals against Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend of the 1995/96 season.
Forest still left The Dell with a 4–3 victory. The result was another example of Southampton’s reliance on Le Tissier during the 1990s: his individual brilliance frequently kept the club competitive, but it could not always compensate for problems elsewhere in the team.
6. Matt Le Tissier – Oldham Athletic 4–3 Southampton
The first Premier League hat-trick scored in defeat came on the final day of the competition’s inaugural season.
Oldham needed a victory to have any chance of survival and led Southampton 4–1 after 64 minutes. Le Tissier scored twice during the closing stages to complete his hat-trick and reduce the deficit to one goal.
Oldham survived the late pressure and remained in the Premier League, while Crystal Palace were relegated after losing at Arsenal. Le Tissier had scored three times, but the afternoon belonged to Oldham and their remarkable escape.
Hat-Tricks Scored in Premier League Draws
Several players have scored Premier League hat-tricks without winning, but their teams at least collected a point. These performances are not included in the main list.
- Leandro Trossard: Liverpool 3–3 Brighton, 2022.
- Romelu Lukaku: West Bromwich Albion 5–5 Manchester United, 2013.
- Somen Tchoyi: Newcastle United 3–3 West Bromwich Albion, 2011.
- Rod Wallace: Coventry City 3–3 Leeds United, 1993.
Why Is Scoring a Hat-Trick in Defeat So Rare?
A team with a hat-trick scorer has already scored at least three goals, which will normally be enough to avoid defeat. The opposition must therefore score four or more to turn the individual achievement into a losing performance.
Five of the six examples finished 4–3, while the other ended 5–3. There was also a gap of almost 19 years between Santa Cruz’s hat-trick in 2007 and Brobbey joining the list in 2026.
Final Answer
Only five players have scored a hat-trick in a losing Premier League match: Brian Brobbey, Roque Santa Cruz, Dwight Yorke, Dion Dublin and Matt Le Tissier.
Le Tissier did it twice, taking the overall total to six hat-tricks in defeat. Brobbey’s three goals against Manchester City were the first such performance since Santa Cruz achieved the unwanted feat in 2007.
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