298 and counting: Iwobi equals Nigerian EPL appearance record!

Alex Iwobi has etched his name deeper into Premier League history, becoming the joint Nigerian appearance record holder in the competition after featuring in Fulham’s 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Friday night.

The 29-year-old midfielder played 86 minutes at the Vitality Stadium, marking his 298th Premier League outing, leveling the long standing record held by Shola Ameobi.

Iwobi, who made his top-flight debut for Arsenal in October 2015, has now accumulated an astonishing 20,349 minutes in the Premier League, becoming the first, and so far only Nigerian to surpass the 20,000 minute mark.

The closest to him is Wilfred Ndidi, who logged 18,208 minutes before his move to the Turkish Süper Lig.

Beyond appearances, Iwobi continues to extend his dominance in other statistical categories. His start against Bournemouth was his seventh consecutive this season, bringing his total Premier League starts to 235, more than any other Nigerian player.

With just two more games needed to reach the 300-match milestone, Iwobi is on the verge of becoming the first Nigerian ever to hit that landmark in the Premier League.

He also holds the assists record both for a season (with Peter Odemwingie at 7) and overall at 37.