Bournemouth forward Justin Kluivert said he was thrilled to become the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick of penalties in a single match as he spurred his side to a 4-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Netherlands international, who is the son of Dutch great Patrick Kluivert, punished an error-strewn display from Wolves, converting two first-half penalties and another one in the second spell to snap Bournemouth’s two-match losing streak.
With the victory at the Molineux Stadium, Bournemouth sit 11th in the table with 18 points from 13 games, while Wolves dropped back into the relegation zone in 18th place with nine points.
“That sounds beautiful (the record). To go in the history books, that’s amazing, super happy with it,” Kluivert told Premier League Productions.
“I train them (the penalties). We have a great goalkeeper with Kepa (Arrizabalaga). We try some stuff, the first one I stop, and look at the keeper, what is he doing? I switch it up for the second one. Then the third, he doesn’t know what I’m going to do. I waited and he chose for me. Easy as that.
“We have shown we can beat a lot of teams in this league. I am happy.”
A product of Ajax Amsterdam’s academy, Kluivert has played for Serie A club Roma and had loan spells at RB Leipzig, Nice and Valencia before his move to the south coast club last year.
Now Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola, who was previously at Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, knows what it is like having the Dutchman in the opposition team.
“Justin has played against my teams in Spain many times and has also scored penalties,” Iraola told the BBC. “Justin is normally quite confident in those situations.
“The first two were clear. For the third one I thought maybe he is not the one to take it. But also in the moment I didn’t want to be the one to tell him.
“Every time you take another penalty it becomes more difficult because you are giving the keeper more information…”
Bournemouth next host eight-placed Tottenham Hotspur at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday.
Author: Mujuni Henry
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