Premier League: Iwobi Eyes Historic Fulham Milestone Against Crystal Palace
Alex Iwobi is on the verge of another landmark in his remarkable Premier League career when Fulham host Crystal Palace this weekend, with the Nigeria international needing just one more appearance to reach 100 for the Cottagers.
Iwobi has made 99 Premier League appearances for Fulham, having previously featured 123 times for Everton and 100 times for Arsenal. A further appearance would make him only the fifth player in Premier League history to record 100 appearances for three different clubs, joining Gary Speed, Rory Delap, Gareth Barry and James Milner.
The milestone would add another chapter to Iwobi’s extraordinary longevity in England’s top flight. Aptly described as Nigeria’s Mr Premier League, the Fulham midfielder already dominates the Nigerian appearance and performance records in the competition.
He is Nigeria’s all-time leader for Premier League appearances with 322, the only Nigerian to have reached the 300-match mark, while his 22,416 minutes are also a national record and make him the only Nigerian to have surpassed 20,000 minutes.
Iwobi also leads the Nigerian rankings for Premier League starts and assists, with 259 starts and the opportunity to reach 260 if he is named in the starting XI against Palace. He has 35 goals and 38 assists in the competition and remains the only Nigerian to have recorded more than 30 goals and 30 assists.
His disciplinary record is equally notable. Despite appearing in 322 Premier League matches, Iwobi has never been sent off.
Beyond the milestone, Iwobi will be seeking his first goal or assist of the season against a Crystal Palace side he has faced 14 times in the Premier League, scoring twice and providing three assists.
He will also be looking to help Fulham secure their first victory of the campaign after defeats in their opening two matches. Victory would give Iwobi a seventh win in 15 Premier League appearances against the Eagles.
