Al Hilal made a swift return to winning ways, crushing host side Al Taawoun 6-0 on Saturday evening in Matchday 7 of the Saudi Pro League, putting behind their unexpected 2-0 defeat to NEOM in the previous round.
Al Hilal required just nine minutes to break the deadlock through Ollie Watkins, before Gabriel Martinelli launched his standout performance by doubling the lead in the 18th minute. The Brazilian subsequently added his second personal goal and his team’s third in the 43rd minute.
Five minutes into the second half, Martinelli completed his hat-trick with the fourth goal. Watkins responded shortly after, scoring his second and Al Hilal’s fifth in the 53rd minute, before substitute Sultan Mandash wrapped up the goalfest in the 75th minute.
This performance marks the second hat-trick of Martinelli’s career, following a three-goal display in Arsenal’s 4-1 FA Cup victory over Portsmouth on January 11, 2026. However, it represents his first hat-trick in an Al Hilal shirt and within the Saudi Pro League.
Al Hilal established an unprecedented record in their head-to-head history against Al Taawoun in the competition, netting five or more goals against them in a single Pro League match for the first time—matching the total number of goals the Blue club scored across their previous three meetings combined against their Qassim-based rivals.
Additionally, six of the last seven instances where a team scored five or more goals within the opening 55 minutes of a Pro League match have been accomplished by Al Hilal, including Saturday’s five-goal blitz completed by the 53rd minute. The sole exception during this span was Al Nassr’s victory over Al Okhdood in May 2025.
The win lifted Al Hilal’s tally to 18 points from seven matches, temporarily placing them atop the table a single point ahead of Al Ittihad, having secured six victories alongside one defeat. Conversely, Al Taawoun remain winless after seven rounds, sitting 17th with three points.
Al Hilal host Qatari side Al Gharafa on Tuesday, September 15, at the Kingdom Arena to kick off their AFC Champions League Elite campaign. The team will play no further domestic fixtures prior to the international break running from September 21 to October 6, returning to league action against Al Ittihad on October 10.
