Awoniyi, Iwobi equal EPL benchmarks; Iheanacho, Ndidi, Onuachu end season with unwanted records
The 2022/23 Premier League season was not a particularly good one for Nigerian players with as many as four of them dropping to the Championship with their
clubs.
While Premier League newcomer, Taiwo Awoniyi made the right history with his 10 goals to become the fifth Nigerian player to net at least 10 goals in their
Premier League debut, Alex Iwobi also equalled Joseph Yobo’s feat of starting all 38 games in a single Premier League season.
Awoniyi ended his first season in the competition as Nigeria and Nothingham Forest’s top scorer and emerged as one the positives of the season from a
Nigerian perspective.
Awoniyi’s 10 goals have also made him the 17th Nigerian to hit double figures of goals in Premier League history.
Iwobi’s seven Premier League assists also equal the record Peter Odemwingie set in a single season and took his total number to 27, just two off the 29
provided by Nwankwo Kanu who holds the most by a Nigerian in the history of the competition.
The trio of Iheanacho, Ndidi and Onuachu will however be remembered for either setting, extending or equalling unwanted records by Nigerians in Premier
League history.
Iheanacho may have scored five goals and provided five assists in 28 Premier League games in the just concluded season and was fittingly named Leicester City
player of the year, the former Man City star however started more games from the bench than any other Nigerian in competition history.
The 26 year old was subbed on 17 times in 28 games this season, four times more than Emmanuel Dennis. He takes his total subbed ons to 116 in 196 games, the
most by a Nigerian in Premier League history.
He has therefore supplanted Victor Anichebe who was subbed on 105 times in 204 games.
Like Iheanacho, Ndidi also ended season setting one unwanted record and extending another.
The former KRC Genk of Belgium player committed two errors leading to goals in the 2022/23 season and he was the only one to achieve the unwanted record.
He thus takes his tally to three, the most by a Nigerian in Premier League history.
Prior to the start of the season, the Leicester City midfielder has conceded six penalties, four more than any other Nigerian in Premier League history. In
the concluded 2022/23 season, he added two more to take his tally to eight, six ahead of Semi Ajayi, his closest challenger.
Onuachu also equalled an unwanted record in his first stint in the competition.
The 29 year old started just four of the 11 appearances he made in the competition after joining Southampton from Belgian side, KRC Genk in the winter
transfer window.
Onuachu neither scored nor did he provide any assist to become the 12th Nigerian to exit the Premier League without scoring a goal.
