Showing posts with label OPTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OPTA. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 February 2026

COLE PALMER ACHIEVES HISTORIC FIRST IN PREMIER LEAGUE ⚽️⚽️⚽️


Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer has definitively etched his name into the history of English football this Saturday (7th).

According to Opta data, he became the first player in the entire Premier League era to score a hat-trick in the first half of three different matches.

This feat was achieved in Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton. The Blues’ number 10 found the net at the 13th, 35th, and 38th minutes of the first half.

The first two goals were penalties, and the third came after a low cross from Cucurella, which Palmer finished almost inside the six-yard box.

The young Englishman had already scored a first-half hat-trick against Everton and Brighton previously, and now repeats the feat, showing remarkable composure in front of goal.

While many players spend an entire career trying to achieve a “hat-trick”, Palmer settles the game before halftime.

Record at Chelsea


The three goals against Wolverhampton also saw Palmer break an important record at Chelsea.

He became the player with the most hat-tricks in the club’s Premier League history, with four.

Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, all with three, are now behind him.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

- OneFootnall


Wednesday, 5 November 2025

BUKAYO SAKA SETS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RECORD NOT EVEN THIERRY HENRY MANAGED AT ARSENAL

Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Bukayo Saka was named as the Arsenal captain as he led his side out in another Champions League tie, this time against Slavia Prague.

Mikel Arteta made four changes to his team, with a mixture of injuries, suspensions and fitness forcing a few switches.

It wasn’t the easiest of starts to the game for Arsenal, as Slavia Prague imposed their physicality on the visitors.

That all changed after the half-hour mark when Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot, setting a record in the process.

Bukayo Saka sets record for Arsenal players scoring away in Champions League

Arsenal can often find themselves in tight games until they manage to find a breakthrough, which was certainly the case in Prague on Tuesday night.

The Gunners struggled to find many openings until a VAR check resulted in a penalty for a handball in the box.

Bukayo Saka took the spotkick and dispatched it with ease, adding yet another goal to his tally for the season.

With that in mind, Opta claims that Saka’s goal is now the fourth consecutive away game in the Champions League that he has managed to score.


4 – Bukayo Saka is the first Arsenal player to score in four consecutive away appearances in the UEFA Champions League. Tourist. #SLPARS pic.twitter.com/1FQiCsrQyx

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 4, 2025


No other Arsenal player has managed to match that in the competition’s history, not even Thierry Henry and all the history he has created.

Those goals have come in some tough games too, finding the back of the net against Athletic Club, PSG and Real Madrid in that time.

It’s another impressive moment for Saka, who continues to be an important player for the Gunners.


Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images


Bukayo Saka is making his mark in the Champions League

While Saka has been playing at the top level for quite a while, this is only the third season he has featured in the Champions League.

Arsenal’s return to being competitive has given a platform for the winger to impress, with eight goal involvements in the first campaign, before another eight last season.

This time around, he already has two goals to his name, and there are plans to add even more in the coming weeks and months.

It’s no surprise either, given the quality of Saka, but it’s clear that the Gunners need to keep him fit for the future.

- Luke Thrower