Halloween Hatt

Halloween Hatt: Witch-Hattrick Hero Helps Brighton Cruise Past Leeds

Brighton and Hove Albion striker Deniz Undav scored a magnificent hat-trick as the Seagulls secured a comfortable 4-0 victory over Leeds United at the Amex Stadium on Saturday. Undav's impressive performance, coupled with Solly March's late strike, lifted Brighton to ninth in the Premier League standings with 13 points from eight matches.

Undav, making just his third Premier League start for Brighton, opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a deft finish after being set up by Leandro Trossard. The German forward doubled the Seagulls' lead just before half-time, converting Marc Cucurella's low cross from close range.

Leeds, who had enjoyed a bright start to the match, struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the contest. Brighton's resolute defending and Undav's clinical finishing proved too much to overcome for the Yorkshire outfit.

Undav completed his hat-trick in style in the 70th minute, latching onto a long ball from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and slotting the ball past Leeds' stand-in goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

In the closing stages, March added further gloss to the scoreline, curling a superb effort into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area. Brighton's victory was their third in the Premier League this season, while Leeds remain 14th in the table.

Undav's heroics marked his first Premier League hat-trick and made him the first player to score three goals for Brighton in the competition since Neal Maupay in July 2020.

The German forward has now scored five goals in his last five Premier League appearances and is rapidly establishing himself as a key player for Brighton under manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Leeds, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to have built on their impressive start to the season, which saw them win three of their opening four Premier League matches. However, manager Jesse Marsch will be encouraged by his team's performance in the first half and will hope to see a response when they host Aston Villa next weekend.