‘A few players have scored a hat-trick against Manchester United in the Premier League, but I was first. And let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to do it these days!’: Manchester United stunned by winger in 2006

Blackburn, UNITED KINGDOM: Blackburn Rovers' David Bentley scores the opening goal against Manchester United during their English Premiership soccer match at Ewood Park, in Blackburn, 01 February 2006. AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLIS Mobile and website use of domestic English football pictures subject to subscription of a license with Football Association Premier League (FAPL) tel : +44 207 298 1656. For newspapers where the football content of the printed and electronic versions are identical, no licence is necessary. (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images).

Manchester United players have scored 33 hat-tricks between them since the Premier League's inception in 1992, but it took 14 years for the Red Devils to concede their first in 2006.

David Bentley became the first player to achieve that feat in January 2006, with the winger scoring three times for Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in a 4-3 victory.

Having just completed a permanent switch from Arsenal after a successful loan spell, Bentley still enjoys explaining how he became the first player to break Manchester United's seemingly impenetrable defence on three occasions in the Premier League era.

David Bentley became the first player to hit hat-tricks against Manchester United in the Premier League

Bentley celebrates his hat-trick (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I’d only signed for Blackburn 24 hours earlier – I’d been at Rovers on loan, but made the move permanent prior to this match," Bentley tells FourFourTwo. "This was a time when Manchester United were littered with stars.

"Edwin van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney – all the big hitters played that night under the lights at Ewood Park. They were terrifying back then and had teams beat before kick-off, so to bag a hat-trick was a real thrill.

Bentley spent three successful seasons at Blackburn (Image credit: Ian Walton/Getty Images)

"A few players have managed it against United in the Premier League since, but I was first. And let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to score a hat-trick against them now compared to when I did it 18 years ago!”

As Bentley highlights, that Manchester United team was coming together and preparing for three consecutive Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy over the next half-decade - now, they're a long way off hitting those same heights.

Since Bentley bagged a hat-trick against Manchester United, seven other players have managed to replicate the former Blackburn man. Dirk Kuyt struck three times for Liverpool at Anfield in 2011, while West Brom's Romelu Lukaku took the matchball home in the iconic 5-5 draw at the Hawthorns in Sir Alex Ferguson's final ever match as manager.

Samuel Eto'o scored three times for Chelsea in 2014, while Mohamed Salah's hat-trick came at Old Trafford in a 5-0 shellacking at Old Trafford in 2021. Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both hit three goals in the same game in 2022, with Cole Palmer's treble at Stamford Bridge last season the most recent.