American Pulisic scores hat trick as Chelsea beats Burnley 4-2
U.S. national team midfielder Christian Pulisic became the second American to score a hat trick in the English Premier League as he led Chelsea to a 4-2 win at Burnley on Saturday.
“It’s a very special day for me,” Pulisic, 21, said. “I’m happy with the progress I’ve made.”
As he left the field after the match, Pulisic needed reminding by his teammates that scoring three goals means you get to keep the ball.
“I didn’t realize that was the tradition,” he said. “My teammates helped me out.”
Pulisic hadn’t scored for Chelsea before but seized his chance on his first EPL start since August, extending fourth-place Chelsea’s unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions.
Pulisic arrived in the summer for $71 million from Borussia Dortmund, the most heralded American arrival in the EPL. He began Saturday in the 21st minute, made it 2-0 in the 45th and completed the trick with a header off Mason Mount’s cross in the 56th.
It was the second hat trick by a U.S. player in league history after Clint Dempsey scored three in Fulham’s 5-2 defeat of Newcastle in 2012.
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