Chapter 34: Three Positions, Three Goals.

Chapter 34: Three positions, three goals.

Thinking of this, Andy Gray took off his headset and called for his assistant, "Kate! Kate! Quick, check the records!"

Although Gray vaguely remembered the record, he wanted to be sure. Soon, the information was in his hands. The youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League was Michael Owen. In the 2000/2001 season, a 19-year-old Owen, then 143 days old, came off the bench at Anfield to score three times in Liverpool’s 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United, setting the record.

Li Mo was born on May 30, 1995. Today’s match date is September 23, 2012. Li Mo’s current age: 17 years and 115 days! If he scores a hat-trick in this match, he will shatter Michael Owen’s record! And this was merely Li Mo’s third appearance in a professional league match and his first-ever start!

"Explosive!" That was the only word that came to Gray's mind. Of course, this all depended on Li Mo actually pulling it off. But just imagining the scene made Gray feel a strange sense of excitement. He didn't know why, but he found himself rooting for it—for Li Mo to score a hat-trick in his first professional start and break the record held by Michael Owen.

In the second half, Southampton initially tried to launch an aggressive surge, but once Arsenal repelled their attacks, the Southampton players lost their spirit. The game quickly turned into a siege by the home side, Arsenal. In truth, Arsenal’s players didn't have much desire to press hard either; they were already four goals up, and pushing further would just be a waste of energy in a long season.

But Li Mo was different. He knew he only had about ten minutes left, and his mind was set on making the most of them to score. However, Southampton’s center-backs were no pushovers. Jos Hooiveld, while not a Dutch international, was a solid performer, and Jose Fonte was a legitimate Portuguese international. Working together, they thwarted Li Mo time and again. Perhaps they realized that if they let a seventeen-year-old score a hat-trick, they would become the shameful backdrop of history, so they defended with extra ferocity. A hat-trick, it turned out, wasn't something easily achieved.

Fifteen minutes of the second half passed quickly. By the 60th minute, Li Mo had yet to find the net. Arsenal fans were dancing and performing the wave in the stands, while Li Mo continued to search for openings, constantly weaving and running. Seeing his persistence, the two Southampton defenders grew even more intense.

In the 61st minute, Li Mo received the ball with his back to the goal and turned to shoot, but Fonte headed the ball out for a corner. Hooiveld pulled the fallen Fonte to his feet. They slapped hands—no words needed. They shared the same goal: they had to stop this kid from scoring again.

"Lukas, go warm up," assistant coach Bould instructed Lukas Podolski on the bench. It was a planned substitution. Podolski immediately put on his training vest and ran to the warm-up area.

"Arsenal is making a substitution!" Andy Gray noted, his voice tinged with regret. He knew well that Podolski was likely coming on for the young Li Mo, which meant Li Mo’s chance for a hat-trick would vanish.

Li Mo saw Podolski warming up, too. He didn't have much time left.

In the 63rd minute, Santi Cazorla dribbled inside to draw the defense before sliding the ball to the flank. Full-back Nacho Monreal carried the ball to the byline and crossed. It was a half-height ball, awkward for an attacker—too low to head comfortably, too high to strike easily.

Seeing the cross, Fonte adjusted his steps, preparing to clear the ball with a full swing. Just then, Li Mo charged in. He had been tangled with Hooiveld, but his acceleration was superior. He lunged forward, putting his body between Fonte and the ball. Fonte hesitated; he was ready to clear, but making contact now would likely result in a foul.

But Li Mo was in a difficult spot, too. Fonte grabbed Li Mo’s jersey with his right hand and stretched his leg to prevent him from getting a shot off. Li Mo couldn't bend down for a header, and he couldn't get his foot to the ball because of Fonte’s interference.

Was he going to give up on this chance? No! Li Mo made a firm decision: *I will never give up any opportunity! I want this hat-trick!*

He thrust his hips back and then lunged forward. Monreal’s cross had pace. Gritting his teeth with fearless determination, Li Mo used his crotch to deflect the ball toward the goal!

Fonte, standing closest, felt a phantom pang of sympathy. *That position... was it really necessary to go that hard?* He watched in shock as the ball, redirected by Li Mo, flew toward the net. The Southampton goalkeeper, adjusting his positioning while tracking Olivier Giroud at the back post, never expected that Li Mo could still steer the ball toward the goal while being completely tied up by Fonte. He was a split-second too late.

The ball flew into the net.

"GOAL! HE SCORED!" Andy Gray roared. "A hat-trick! A hat-trick! A hat-trick! Header, foot, and... er, a groin-assisted goal! Three goals with three different parts of his body!"

"Li Mo! Li Mo! At just 17 years and 115 days old, Li Mo has created a brand-new record! He has surpassed Michael Owen to become the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League!"

Gray finally had the chance to shout out the statistics he had been holding onto all day. He did it! He actually did it!