Super goal crowns Toures first hat-trick

24 March 2014 10:32

Ivory Coast superstar Yaya Toure scored his first career hat-trick at the weekend as English Premier League title-chasers Manchester City cruised to a 5-0 win over Fulham.

The reigning African Footballer of the Year converted two penalties before curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Midfielder Toure is third on the Premier League scoring charts with 16 goals -- 12 less than Liverpool 'goal machine' Luis Suarez.

ENGLAND

YAYA TOURE (Manchester City)

The Ivory Coast midfielder had a match to remember in scoring a hat-trick during title-chasing City's 5-0 thrashing of bottom-of-the-table Fulham. After Fernando Amorebieta fouled Alvaro Negredo in the box, Toure opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 26th minute. Remarkably, it was a similar story as City went 2-0 up in the 54th minute only this time Venezuela's Amorebieta was sent off for a rash challenge on David Silva with Toure then beating Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale from the spot in near-identical fashion to his first goal. But the pick of the bunch came 11 minutes later with Toure and City's third goal, when he curled an unstoppable shot into the top corner from 25 yards.

PAPISS CISSE (Newcastle)

The Senegal striker repaid the faith of manager Alan Pardew as his last-gasp strike earned a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. Cisse had scored just three times previously this season, but Pardew brought him back into the starting line-up and he delivered the winner four minutes into stoppage-time at St James' Park when he headed in a cross from Hatem Ben Arfa.

MOHAMED SALAH (Chelsea)

Chelsea had long done the damage by the time the substitute scored the final goal in the Premier League leaders 6-0 thrashing of London title rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. But the way in which Blues manager Jose Mourinho celebrated the Egyptian's first goal for Chelsea told you all you needed to know about the Portuguese's desire to "kill" Arsenal, whose joy in celebrating French boss Arsene Wenger's 1,000th match in charge of the Gunners quickly evaporated. Only on for four minutes, Saleh finished in cool fashion with a left-foot shot under Wojciech Szczesny after beating the offside trap and going one-on-one with the Arsenal goalkeeper. He celebrated with what appeared to be a demonstration of 'sujood' (an Islamic act of bowing down in prayer) as he kissed the turf.

PETER ODEMWINGIE (Stoke City)

Having scored against Aston Villa when with Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion, the Russia-born Nigeria international inflicted more misery on the Birmingham club with the opening goal of Stoke's come-from-behind 4-1 victory at Villa Park. Having seen his side go 1-0 down, Odemwingie drew the Potters level in the 22nd minute. Towering England forward Crouch headed the ball perfectly into the path of his strike partner and Odemwingie burst between two defenders before stabbing the ball under advancing Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

SPAIN

YACINE BRAHIMI, YOUSSEF EL-ARABI (Granada)

Algerian Brahimi scored just his second goal of the season from Moroccan El-Arabi's pass as Granada eased their relegation fears with a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Elche.

ITALY

KWADWO ASAMOAH (Juventus)

Asamoah was one of several Juve regulars rested for the champions' trip to basement side Catania. Juve opened the scoring through Carlos Tevez in the 59th minute, and several minutes later -- following the sending-off of Catania striker Gonzalo Bergessio -- Juve coach replaced Isla on the left flank with Asamoah. The Ghanaian put in a solid performance to help Juve to a 1-0 win that restored the champions' 14-point lead over second-place Roma.

GERVINHO (AS Roma)

Gervinho has been steadily returning to peak fitness following a slight injury knock last month and broke the deadlock away to Chievo in the 17th minute when he intercepted a poor backpass by Cesar to clip the ball on the volley past 'keeper Michael Agazzi. It was the Ivorian's sixth goal of the campaign and Roma finished 2-0 winners.

GERMANY

ERIC CHOUPO-MOTING (Mainz 05)

Only the crossbar denied the Cameroon striker his fourth goal in four consecutive games when he thumped the woodwork just after the break in Mainz 05's 2-0 defeat at home to European champions Bayern Munich. Choupo-Moting beat Bayern's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with a well-timed shot at the start of the second half, but Munich went on to claim the three points when Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Goetze netted late goals to secure an 18th consecutive away win and go 51 matches unbeaten -- both Bundesliga records.

IBRAHIMA TRAORE (VfB Stuttgart)

The Guinea midfielder produced a superb cross to set up Romania's Alexandru Maxim to hit the winner in VfB Stuttgart's 1-0 victory over fellow relegation-candidates Hamburg -- their first win since December. Traore cut in from the left wing, beat the defence and fired in a low cross to give Maxim an easy tap-in on 69 minutes as Stuttgart converted their first chance of the game.

FRANCE

SERGE GAKPE (Nantes)

France-born Togo international Gakpe opened the scoring after just three minutes for Nantes as the 'Canaries' picked up a much needed 2-1 victory over Montpellier in Ligue 1 action. The 26-year-old was born in Bondy, but has six goals in 22 appearances for Togo and returned to Nantes this season following a loan spell at Belgian side Standard Liege.

ABDUL MAJEED WARIS (Valenciennes)

The 22-year-old Ghana international bagged both of his side's second-half goals, the second from the penalty spot, but it wasn't enough to prevent Valenciennes falling 3-2 to Corsican visitors Ajaccio. Waris was taking his haul to eight since joining the Ligue 1 side on loan from Spartak Moscow in the January transfer window.

MOUNIR OBBADI (Monaco)

Attacking midfielder Obbadi hit the target after just four minutes for Monaco as the Ligue 1 second placed side drew 1-1 at home to Lille. The 30-year-old Moroccan is in his second season with Claudio Ranieri's expensively assembled team after coming up through the Paris Saint-Germain youth system and recently spending seven years between Troyes and Angers.

RUSSIA

FEGOR OGUDE (Amkar Perm)

The Nigerian midfielder scored the second Amkar goal in a 3-3 draw at Rostov, netting with an angled, close-range shot. Ogude has scored three goals in as many league matches.

DAME N'DOYE (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Senegalese striker N'Doye struck the second goal as Lokomotiv romped to a 3-0 home win over Ural Yekaterinburg, firing home from seven metres after a defensive mix-up.

Source: AFP