History was made during the Southampton vs Aston Villa match at St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon as Sadio Mane broke the 21-year record for the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history.
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(Video) Watch Sadio Mane score the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history
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The Senegalese international took only two minutes and 56 seconds to complete his treble and therefore broke the previous record of four minutes and 23 seconds which was set over two decades ago by Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler against Arsenal.
His first of the afternoon arrived after 12 minutes when he shrugged off a challenge from Villa defender Alan Hutton to slide the ball into an empty net, then barely a minute later he grabbed his second in what was almost identical to his first.
After Shane Long was denied by Shay Given, Mane raced on to the loose ball and converted from close range to give the Saints a two-goal cushion.
His third was easily the best of the lot as he guided the ball past Given from just inside the area following a lightning quick counter attack from the home side as Mane etched his place into the history books.
Take a look at a selection of tweets praising the Saints forward:
Sadio Mané has just scored a hat trick in 2 minutes 56 seconds. Fastest ever in Premier League history! Incredible! pic.twitter.com/gAD3EGZFLU
— Football Funnys (@FootballFunnys) May 16, 2015
Sadio Mane’s hat-trick was also the earliest in a #BPL match – his three goals coming in the first 16 mins #SOUAVL pic.twitter.com/venO0sOun8
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 16, 2015
2.56 Minute hatrick from Mane!! What a man!
— Aaron Bumby (@Aaron_Bumby) May 16, 2015
The Mane man scored his hat-trick in just under 3 minutes, the fastest in @premierleague history.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 16, 2015
FACT: Sadio Mané has just scored more league goals in 3 minutes than Mario Balotelli has managed in a whole season pic.twitter.com/hYg324g7OP
— The FOOTBALL Bible (@TFBible_) May 16, 2015
Mane beats @Robbie9Fowler quickest hat trick in prem
— Matt Le Tissier (@mattletiss7) May 16, 2015
Getting a lot of messages here… What’s happened????
— Robbie Fowler (@Robbie9Fowler) May 16, 2015
Interestingly, it was Tim Sherwood who first spotted Sadio Mane scoring hat-tricks when he was playing for Metz, in 2011.
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) May 16, 2015