NIGERIANS IN EPL
Aribo breaks his six-month scoring dry spell in the defeat against Southampton.
Iwobi and Bassey struggle in their match against Villa.
Nigerian midfielder Joe Aribo broke his six-month scoring dry spell in the Premier League on Saturday. However, his goal wasn’t enough to save Southampton from a painful 3-2 loss against Leicester City in an exciting match at St. Mary's Stadium, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Aribo, who scored his last Premier League goal on April 15, 2023, against Cardiff City while playing for Southampton in the Championship, got back on the scoresheet in the 28th minute. The 27-year-old calmly finished off a well-placed cross from Kyle Walker-Peters, showcasing the goal-scoring ability that was vital to the Saints’ promotion to the Premier League.
The goal was Aribo's first since Southampton came back to the Premier League for the 2024/25 season, and it brought a wave of joy to the supporters at home.
He kept up his outstanding performance from the last Championship season, scoring four important goals, one of which was a thrilling last-minute goal against Birmingham City.
Aribo's goal, which brought Southampton's advantage to 2-0 after Cameron Archer's opener in the eighth minute, appeared to place the Saints in a strong position. The Nigerian international's display in the first half perfectly represented the fluid, possession-focused approach favored by Southampton manager Russell Martin, which has received a lot of praise recently.
Ndidi has been having a great season, providing four assists, and has been crucial in Leicester's comeback. His calmness and ability to distribute the ball effectively played a key part in changing the outcome of the game.
The match changed significantly when Facundo Buonanotte scored from close range after receiving a cross from Fatawu, marking the start of Leicester’s comeback. They equalized with a penalty from Jamie Vardy after Ryan Fraser received a red card for pulling down the experienced forward.
The turning point occurred in the 97th minute when Ayew’s attempt went past Aaron Ramsdale, sealing Leicester's incredible comeback.
In another match, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey had a tough day as Fulham faced a disappointing 3-1 loss at home against Aston Villa at Craven Cottage.
Iwobi, who has been performing well for the Cottagers this season, couldn't stop his team from experiencing their third loss of the year.
In contrast, Bassey experienced a memorable misstep when his deflection allowed Villa to score the equalizer in the 24th minute. The regular Fulham defender was caught off guard when a shot from Morgan Rogers, fired from 20 yards away, took an unexpected bounce off him, leaving goalkeeper Bernd Leno unable to react in time.
Fulham got off to a strong start when Raul Jimenez capitalized on a long kick from Leno. He outmuscled Pau Torres and sent a low left-foot shot into the corner of the goal. Nevertheless, Aston Villa quickly bounced back with a powerful response.
The guests took charge of the game when England forward Ollie Watkins scored with a header from Youri Tielemans' corner just after the hour mark, demonstrating his strength in the air.
Fulham's situation worsened when defender Joachim Andersen received a red card for pulling down Watkins, forcing the team to finish the match with only ten players. Aston Villa took full advantage of their superior numbers, with Issa Diop accidentally scoring an own goal from a low cross by Lucas Digne, which secured a decisive win for the away team.
