When Ray Parlour Scored Two Hat-tricks in a Year

Ray Parlour spent twelve years at Arsenal, won every domestic trophy available (including two doubles) and is Arsenal’s record Premier League appearance holder. He is probably best remembered for his stunning goal against Chelsea in the 2002 FA Cup final. However, Parlour wasn't a regular goalscorer, which made his feat of scoring two hat-tricks for Arsenal during 2000 all the more remarkable. His 333 Premier League appearances for Arsenal yielded just 20 goals; and after his hat-trick against Newcastle in December 2000, he would only score one more Premier League goal - later that season against Bradford City - despite playing another three seasons for Arsenal and two more for Middlesbrough.
Looking back at these hat-tricks, it’s the quality of the six goals that is so remarkable.

Werder Bremen 2 Arsenal 4

23 March 2000

Parlour’s first hat-trick for Arsenal came in the quarter final of the UEFA Cup in March 2000. Coming into Spring, Arsenal’s season was in danger of fizzling out, as they struggled to keep pace with Manchester United in the league, and went out of both domestic cups in disappointing fashion. The UEFA Cup was already a consolation - Arsenal qualifying via failing to get out of their Champions League group. The Gunners seemed relieved to be back at Highbury, after playing their Champions League home games at Wembley. They beat Nantes and Deportivo La Coruna, before a comfortable 2-0 home win against Werder Bremen in the first leg of the quarter final.

Werder Bremen had something of a reputation for getting results from unlikely positions at the Weserstadion, but Arsenal were strong favourites to go through. After eight minutes, they went ahead with a spectacular strike from Parlour. Receiving a pass from Kanu on the right-hand corner of the penalty box, Parlour unleashed one of those swerving shots, which - because of the TV camera angle - you could tell was going in from the moment it left his foot. The shot actually crashed home off the post, adding to the aesthetic beauty of an already almost perfect strike. “There's not a goalkeeper playing now, or ever before in football that would have saved it,” said Andy Gray, the co-commentator - who admittedly likes a superlative.
It was Parlour’s first goal since scoring the winner in the Charity Shield against Manchester United the previous August - and his first goal in European football. He would soon have his second. With his confidence clearly soaring, Parlour received a long ball over the top from Patrick Vieira, and with plenty still to do, dribbled the ball past two players and slotted a low shot in off the same post, as naturally as if it was something he did every week.
In an eventful match, Thierry Henry scored a third for Arsenal (assisted by Parlour) either side of two Bremen goals. Henry was then - rather harshly - sent off by referee Kim Milton Nielsen (the same referee who sent David Beckham off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup), before Parlour sealed his hat-trick with a good finish from a Kanu through ball.
Parlour himself is very modest about his hat-tricks in his autobiography. Of his three goals against Werder Bremen he simply says: “It was one of those where everything went for me” and “I didn't get many hat-tricks so that was a great moment."

Arsenal 5 Newcastle 0

9 December 2000
Newcastle arrived at Highbury in December 2000 with reasonable expectations of getting a good result. Arsenal were wobbling, having only scored one goal in their previous four games - including defeats at Everton and Leeds - and were already six points behind leaders Manchester United. Arsenal’s home form, however, was excellent, and they duly swiped Newcastle aside with a fantastic attacking performance.

The Gunners took the lead in the 13th minute. Thierry Henry – finding his feet after a difficult start to his Arsenal career – immaculately controlled a long pass from Tony Adams and finished well.The second goal - and Parlour’s first - was a classic counterattack which started with Freddie Ljungberg winning the ball in the right-back position and squaring to Kanu. At the point Kanu received the ball, Parlour was still in his own half, but surged past Kanu to receive a typically unconventional pass - played with the outside of the Nigerian’s sizeable right foot - and lashed an unstoppable shot across Shay Given into the far corner of the net. “When Arsenal flow they flow like no other team” was commentator John Champion’s assessment.

Parlour’s second goal came late in the game. Arsenal were coasting, Kanu having finished a Ljungberg through-ball to make it 3-0. Henry’s perfect right-wing cross found Parlour who headed into the bottom corner with equal perfection.

Parlour’s hat-trick goal was a thing of beauty - thanks to the genius of Robert Pires. Pires received the ball from a Lee Dixon pass, turned, and initially looked for Dennis Bergkamp but delayed as the Dutchman was offside. Parlour made the kind of run a midfielder probably wouldn’t make in the 90th minute if he wasn’t on a hat-trick. Pires spotted him, and scooped a lovely pass over the Newcastle defence for Parlour to run on to and finish easily. It was Newcastle’s biggest top flight defeat in fourteen years. Their manager, Bobby Robson said: "We were just smashed. Simple as that. After Arsenal's first goal went in it was just a matter of damage limitation. I felt like taking a dose of Night Nurse and looking for a taxi.”

See also:
How Freddie Ljungberg drove Arsenal to the double in 2002