Joy Elite League: a triple shock, and Al-Hazm rediscovers its shine in a round of surprises
What happened in the third round of Joey?
The third round of the Joy Elite League produced a raft of surprises as three of the top clubs stumbled to shock results. Al-Hazm, meanwhile, rediscovered their winning touch and claimed their first victory of the season.
A triple shock for the top clubs
The upsets began with Al-Nassr's 2-1 defeat to Al-Fateh. Abdulaziz Al-Fawaz stole the spotlight with both goals, firing Al-Fateh to a valuable win over one of the tournament's biggest names.
Al-Ahli fared no better. A 2-2 draw with Al-Jabalain saw them continue to bleed points in a round that tripped up several heavyweights.
Read also: After the Bono shock: Koulibaly and Al-Owais land Al-Hilal in trouble against Neom
Completing the misery for the big guns, Al-Hilal fell 2-1 to Al-Taawoun. The Leader slipped to defeat in the third round, unable to salvage anything against Al-Taawoun.
Al-Hazm regain their shine
At the other end of the mood scale, reigning champions Al-Hazm rediscovered their spark and grabbed their first win of the season, beating Al-Feiha 3-1.
Al-Hazm had missed the previous round after their match against Al-Watan was postponed. They opened their campaign with a 1-2 loss to Al-Jabalain, then bounced back emphatically in the third round to land that first victory.
Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah the highest scorers
Goals flowed for Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah. Al-Qadsiah cruised to a 4-2 win over Al-Ettifaq, while Al-Ittihad swept aside Al-Wehda 4-1, making the pair the round's top scorers.
Ammar Al-Ghamdi kept up his attacking brilliance for Al-Ittihad, scoring for the second match running to underline his status as one of the club's brightest forwards this season.
Al-Khaleej keep a clean sheet
Al-Khaleej ground out a clean win over Al-Orobah, three goals without reply, becoming the only side in the third round to keep a clean sheet.
Abdullah Al-Ajyan marked his return to the scoresheet with his first goals of the season, stamping his authority on Al-Khaleej's big win over Al-Orobah.
A single brace in the round
Just one brace lit up the round, and it belonged to Al-Fateh's Abdulaziz Al-Fawaz. Both his goals sank Al-Nassr and delivered one of the weekend's standout surprises.
Elsewhere, Al-Faisaly drew 1-1 with Al-Najma, Al-Tadamon edged Al-Khaleej 2-1 and Damac and Al-Riyadh played out a 1-1 draw. Surprises, it seems, ruled the Joy Elite League this time around.
