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A goal is the most desired outcome in a match, as it not only decides results of matches but also who wins titles and gets relegated.
For this reason, those who can put the ball in the back of the opposition net with any form of consistency are highly sought after, being generally paid more and winning more individual accolades than their peers in other positions.
A hat-trick is a situation where a single player scores three or more goals in a single match. And since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, more than 100 players have managed to achieve this distinction since Manchester United legend Eric Cantona became the first ever player to score a PL hat-trick.
Given the number of legendary players who have plied their trade in the Premier League, it comes as no surprise that some very illustrious names appear on the list of hat-trick scorers in the EPL. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at six players who have scored the most hat-tricks in Premier League history.
Note - All stats correct as of Feb 4, 2019
#6 Michael Owen - 8 hat-tricks (Liverpool, Newcastle United)
Michael Owen burst onto the scene as an explosive forward when at just 18 years, he bamboozled the entire Argentina backline en-route scoring one of the all-time great World Cup goals at the 1998 Mundial in France.
From then on, he went on to cement himself as a Liverpool and England regular, winning the EPL Golden Boot in his first full season as a Premier League player in 1998, repeating the feat a season later in 1999 as well as lifting the Ballon d'Or in 2001.
His form for Liverpool earned him an ultimately unfruitful big-money move to Real Madrid, while he also turned out for Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City.
Michael Owen announced his retirement from football in 2013 and ended his career with eight Premier League hat-tricks, with seven of those coming for Liverpool and one in the colours of Newcastle.
He is also one of only seven players to have scored 150+ Premier League goals, as well as the youngest player in history to score 100 EPL goals.
#5 Harry Kane - 8 hat-tricks (Tottenham)
Unarguably the most lethal English striker over the last five seasons and one of the best anywhere in the world, Harry Kane has been an absolute phenomenon since establishing himself in the Tottenham starting lineup in 2014.
The 25-year-old won consecutive Premier League Golden Boots in 2015 and 2016, while he also remarkably outscored both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in 2017, in addition to finishing as the top scorer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Tottenham number 10 is a classic definition of a modern-day centre-forward, as he is effective at linking up his teammates, good in the air, quick, intuitive and possesses a deadly finish.
So far, Harry Kane has scored eight hat-tricks and if he continues at the rate which he is going, it is not far-reaching to suggest that he could very well top this list by the time he hangs up his boots.
#4 Thierry Henry - 8 hat-tricks (Arsenal)
Considered by many to be the greatest striker in the history of the Premier League, Thierry Henry banged in goals for fun during his heydey at Arsenal, with the fact that he holds the record for most Golden Boots won (four) in EPL history serving as a proof of his prowess in front of goal.
Thierry Henry's goals were instrumental to Arsenal's success in the early years of the last decade, proving vital as The Gunners won a host of trophies culminating in their Invincibles PL campaign in 2004.
Henry ended his Arsenal career as their all-time record goalscorer with 228 goals (across two spells) from 376 matches, of which eight were Premier League hat-tricks.
Till date, Henry is regarded by many to be the greatest player in Arsenal's history and has a Bronze statue in his honour erected outside The Emirates stadium.
#3 Robbie Fowler - 9 hat-tricks (Liverpool)
You know you are really something special when you are nicknamed 'God' by none other than the Anfield crowd and Robbie Fowler did more than enough to earn that moniker in nine years with the Merseyside outfit.
In his prime, Fowler was widely believed to be one of the most natural finishers in the world, scoring goals of all varieties and from all angles, leading to him being named the PFA Young Player of the Year in two consecutive seasons in 1995 and 1996.
Fowler's goalscoring prowess as well as social awareness endeared him to fans of Liverpool and remains a firm fan favourite despite leaving the club in controversial circumstances in 2001 (although he returned for a second spell in 2006).
Robbie Fowler scored his first ever PL hat-trick in just his fifth appearance in 1993 and this was the first of a total of nine Premier League hat-tricks in the colours of Liverpool, one of which was gotten in just 4 minutes and 33 seconds against Arsenal in 1995.
That was a league record for fastest hat-trick until it was broken by Sadio Mane 20 years later against Aston Villa.
#2 Sergio Aguero - 10 hat-tricks (Manchester City)
When Manchester City paid £35 million for the services of Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011, few could have predicted the kind of impact the Argentine international would have had on the history of the Cityzens.
Since then, the 30-year-old has helped the club become a domestic force in England, winning three Premier League titles, the first of which came from the last kick of the season in 2011/2012 to usurp crosstown rivals Manchester United.
Earlier, Aguero had created history by breaking none other than Maradona's record when he became the youngest player in history to make his debut in the Argentine Primera division, doing so at just 15 years and 35 days for Independiente in 2003.
He moved on to Atletico Madrid and continued his rise to prominence but has taken his stock to new heights at Manchester City.
He is the club's all-time record goalscorer with 216 goals from 318 matches, while he is also the 8th highest scorer in PL history, as well as the highest scoring non European of all time in the Premier League and also has the joint-most goals in a single EPL match, doing so in just 23 minutes and 34 seconds of match time (fastest in history).
Till date, Sergio Aguero has scored 10 Premier League hat-tricks and having signed a contract extension to keep him at The Etihad until 2021, it is only a matter of time before Aguero tops this list.
#1 Alan Shearer - 11 hat-tricks (Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United)
A goalscorer of the highest proportion, Alan Shearer holds a number of Premier League goalscoring records including for most goals scored (260), most penalties converted (58) and obviously for most Premier League hat-tricks with 11.
Shearer made a name for himself at Blackburn Rovers, helping them to an unlikely Premier League triumph in 1995 with his Golden Boot-winning campaign, as his 34 goals (still a Premier League record) guided the Rovers to the title.
He formed a notable partnership with Chris Sutton at Ewood Park, earning the nickname (SAS), but it was at boyhood club Newcastle United who he joined for a then world record fee of £15 million that he enjoyed legendary status.
Alan Shearer won numerous personal accolades during his playing career and even though his trophy haul is rather unbefitting a player of his abilities (his only major trophy was the 1995 Premier League title), it takes nothing away from what a legendary striker Alan Shearer was.
