Fixtures

Who can match Ravanelli's dream debut?

31 Jul 2018

Players making their PL debuts on the opening weekend will join an exclusive club if they can score three goals

Arms stretched wide in celebration, Middlesbrough shirt pulled over his silver hair; images of Fabrizio Ravanelli's incredible debut hat-trick in 1996 still live long in the memory.

And players making their Premier League debut in the 2018/19 season will be trying to emulate the Italian's unique feat when the new campaign starts on 10 August.

Bought from Juventus as Middlesbrough's then record signing, Ravanelli announced his arrival in style with three goals in a thrilling opening-day draw with Liverpool.

As well as gaining instant hero status in the hearts of Boro fans, "the White Feather" set a record that stands to this day.

Unique hat-trick

Ravanelli's hat-trick is the first and only opening weekend hat-trick scored by a player making his PL debut.

Four years later, another Middlesbrough player nearly matched it; Alen Boksic scoring twice on debut against Coventry City.

He is one of four players to have scored two MW1 goals on their maiden Premier League appearance.

Boksic and the other three players with a debut brace, Sergio Aguero, Mladen Petric and Michu, also recorded an assist in their first PL match.

Aguero had a great start to his Manchester City career, with two goals and an assist against Swansea City in 2011 coming in only 30 minutes after he was introduced as a substitute on the hour mark.

Best MW1 performances on PL debut

Player	Goals	Match	Season
Fabrizio Ravanelli	3	MID v LIV	1996/97
Alen Boksic	2	COV v MID	2000/01
Sergio Aguero	2	MCI v SWA	2011/12
Mladen Petric	2	FUL v NOR	2012/13
Michu	2	QPR v SWA	2012/13