Robbie Fowler scored the Premier League's most unique hat-trick 30 years ago today

Tom Weber

• 23 Dec 2025 14:18 CST
• 4 min read

Analysis

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler scored a one-of-a-kind hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Arsenal on this day 30 years ago.

Gunners icon Ian Wright opened the scoring at Anfield on 23 December 1995, but the Reds would stage an epic comeback, thanks to star forward Fowler, who netted three unanswered goals.

Plenty of players have scored hat-tricks in the Premier League. The fact that Fowler notched all three of his goals consecutively is not why his hat-trick was special, nor is it the fact that he scored a goal with his right foot, his left foot and his head.

What sets this three-goal haul apart is not so much the scorer as the assister. All three of Fowler's strikes were set up by Stan Collymore. This in itself is remarkable because, at the time, it had only happened once before. There have been just three more instances since.

However, this particular link-up was even more special and unique because Collymore's hat-trick of assists, like Fowler's hat-trick of goals, was achieved with the left foot, right foot and head.

Collymore to Fowler - the perfect hat-trick

The only slight blemish on this otherwise perfect hat-trick (or should we call it a double hat-trick?) is that the second and third goals were not set up with the same part of the body as they were scored.

Fowler's first goal, a lovely shot from the edge of the box, was scored with his right foot after a lay-off from Collymore with his right foot. The second goal, however, was a left-footed strike from Fowler that was assisted by Collymore with his head.

The third and final goal was a header from Fowler after Collymore crossed the ball into the box with his left foot, having initially seen a right-footed cross cleared away.

Nevertheless, this particular feat had not been achieved in the Premier League before, nor has it happened in England's top flight since. As mentioned, though, there have been other instances of players setting up every goal of a teammate's hat-trick.

Considering how rare it is, it is hard to believe that the first time it occurred was also during the 1995/96 season. Blackburn Rovers' Mike Newell was the first player in Premier League history to achieve a hat-trick of assists for a teammate's hat-trick of goals when he set up Alan Shearer's strikes against Coventry in September 1995.

In 2003, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry assisted Freddie Ljungberg's three goals against Sunderland. 17 years later, Harry Kane set up Son Heung-min's three goals for Tottenham against Southampton.

Most recently, Cole Palmer assisted Noni Madueke's hat-trick in Chelsea's 6-2 win over Wolves in August 2024. This was particularly painful for Wolves fans as Madueke had written that "everything about this place [Wolverhampton] is sh*t" in an Instagram story before the game.

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