“I was drunk on my Arsenal debut, years later I was man of the match in a Champions League final”

April 15, 2026 Oliver Obel

Jermaine Pennant’s first Premier League start for Arsenal is remembered less for the selection itself and more for what came before it — and what followed.

The former winger produced one of the fastest hat-tricks in Premier League history, scoring three goals in just 10 minutes. What makes the achievement even more unusual is that, by his own admission, he played the match while badly hungover.

From night out to starting lineup

Pennant had little reason to expect he would feature. Arsenal’s squad at the time included established names such as Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Ray Parlour, leaving him convinced he would remain on the bench.

Speaking in an interview reported by GiveMeSport, Pennant recalled going out the night before the game after assuming he would not be selected.

“I’d had like three hours of sleep, and I’m stinking of alcohol. Wenger pulls the board down and reads out the team. He says my name,” he said.

He added that he had stayed out until around 6 a.m. after attending an FHM party, only to arrive the next day still feeling the effects.

“I was still so hungover when I was playing; I just did everything in my power not to embarrass myself,” Pennant said.

A remarkable turnaround on the pitch

Despite the circumstances, Pennant delivered a performance that defied expectations. Rather than struggling through the match, he scored three times in rapid succession, turning what could have been a disastrous outing into a standout moment.

The hat-trick remains one of the quickest recorded in the league and is often cited as one of the most unusual debut stories in English top-flight football.

A career of promise and inconsistency

Pennant left Arsenal in 2005 to join Birmingham City, where his performances stood out even as the club suffered relegation. His form earned him a move to Liverpool, and he was part of the side that reached the 2007 Champions League final, losing to AC Milan.

While he showed flashes of quality, consistency proved elusive. Spells with Real Zaragoza and Stoke City followed, with his time at Stoke offering a period of relative stability, including an appearance in the 2011 FA Cup final.

Later in his career, Pennant moved between several clubs in England and abroad. Off-field issues often overshadowed his ability, contributing to a career that never fully matched its early promise.

He has since retired from professional football and gone on to appear in television and sports media.

Sources: GiveMeSport, Transfermarkt