Brentford‘s Kevin Schade bagged a hat-trick for his first goals of the Premier League season, plus set up a fourth goal, as Thomas Frank’s men roared back from a goal down to beat Leicester City 4-1 in front of their new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy on Saturday.
The west London club, who are undefeated at home this season, are provisionally seventh in the Premier League table after 13 games are a point above the drop zone in 16th.
“Three goals and an assist, it’s a dream number for any offensive player,” Frank said of Schade, on Sky Sports. “I’m so, so happy for him because he’s another young man that wants to do the best he can to perform. Everything he hit today went in. Very good finishes. Fantastic assist and glad I picked him.”
Facundo Buonanotte put Leicester on the scoreboard against the run of play in the 21st minute partly due to poor Brentford defending, with Jamie Vardy losing his man before his pass to Buonanotte who finished with a low, hard shot to the corner.
But the lead lasted just four minutes to the delight of Brentford fans as Mikkel Damsgaard sent a ball through to Schade who teed up Yoane Wissa with a beautiful pass off the side of his boot, and Wissa tapped in from close range.
Schade put the home side ahead four minutes later when he latched on to a deflected shot from Bryan Mbeumo in a crowded penalty area.
“Very pleased,” Schade told Sky. “Difficult time for me recently. I’m even more happy now I’ve scored the hat trick.
“I was most pleased with the last goal. My first hat trick in my whole career. So happy. I’ve been sad recently and everyone tries to push me. The team, the fans. Working really hard, extra sessions in the gym.”
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Schade bagged his second goal late in first-half injury time when he sprinted on to a through ball from Damsgaard and chipped a left-footed shot over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and into the far corner.
The 23-year-old completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute when Nathan Collins curled in a ball behind Leicester’s defence and Schade finished with a low, powerful shot past Hermansen.
After the final whistle, much of the Leicester squad kept their distance from their angry fans who had travelled to Saturday’s game.
“We’re in a bad place but only us can get ourselves together,” Leicester defender Conor Coady told Sky Sports. “We’re in a dark place at the moment. We’ve got to pull ourselves through it and look at ourselves in the mirror.
“The new manager is coming in tomorrow and we have to go from there.”
Struggling Leicester, who have just two wins this season, named Van Nistelrooy as their manager on Friday, too late for the Dutchman to take charge on Saturday and leaving coaching duties to interim Ben Dawson.
Leicester had surprisingly sacked Steve Cooper last weekend and were quick to appoint Van Nistelrooy, who had guided Manchester United to four games unbeaten when he took interim charge after Erik ten Hag was fired last month.
