EPL: Toney hat-trick seals vital Brentford win at Norwich

Brentford dealt a hammer blow to Norwich City’s hopes of escaping relegation from the Premier League as Ivan Toney scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory at Carrow Road on Saturday.

Toney put the visitors ahead from close range before halftime from Christian Eriksen’s corner and then converted two second-half penalties as Brentford emerged from a slump in form.

Norwich had a goal by Milot Rashica ruled out for offside and Teemu Pukki did score a consolation effort in stoppage time but it was too little, too late.

Brentford’s first league win in nine games eased their own relegation fears but Norwich’s outlook is bleak after a desperately disappointing result in a match they would have earmarked as an opportunity to boost their escape bid.

A fourth successive defeat left Dean Smith’s side bottom with 17 points from 27 games, five points from the safety zone.

Brentford, who had lost seven of their last eight games to fall into the relegation mix, are in 15th place with 27 points, six points better off than third-from-bottom Burnley.