Iwobi gunning for another winner against Man United, closing in on another Aiyegbeni ‘Nigerian’ EPL record

Alex Iwobi has scored seven goals in 22 Premier League appearances so far this season, a personal season’s record. He has also scored 29 goals in 275 games in the competition since he made his debut in October 2015.

Two of the goals came in 14 appearances against Manchester United with one of them giving his club, Fulham all three points in February 2024 at Old Trafford.

The Nigerian could not reproduce the magic when both sides met in August last year with Joshua Zirkzee’s 87th minute goal condemning the Cottagers to an unfortunate loss.

The two sides will be meeting again on Sunday, this time at Craven Cottage and Iwobi will be looking to score not just his third goal in 15 Premier League appearances against the Red Devils but also his second home goal and second winner.

The 28-year-old scored a 98th minute winner at Old Trafford last February to give Fulham a deserved 2-1 win.

He thus made history as the first Fulham player to score a winning goal against Manchester United at the Old Trafford since October 2003.

If Fulham win and with Iwobi in action, it will be the former Arsenal man’s 110th in 276 Premier League appearances, and if he scores twice, it will be his 15th goal in 59 games for the Cottagers and equal the 15 he scored for the Gunners in 149 appearances.

Iwobi is also out to extend a couple of milestones/records achieved by Nigerians in the history of the competition.

The Super Eagle has provided 32 assists in 275 games so far to own the record as the Nigerian with the most assists in the history of the Premier League. Another one on Sunday will extend his record and bring his season’s assists to four, three less than the seven he provided in the 2022/23 season which is the joint most provided by a Nigerian in a Premier League season.

Iwobi has played the most minutes (18,664) by any Nigerian in Premier League history and he has played 1,570 more minutes of football more than second placed Wilfred Ndidi (17,094) who is currently injured.

This season however, Ola Aina (1,995) and Calvin Bassey (1,890) have played more minutes than Iwobi (1,855) albeit he has played a game less than his Fulham colleague.

Last week, Iwobi (336) supplanted Yakubu Aiyegbeni (332) as the Nigerian player to have played the most number of shots (on and off target). This Sunday, the Fulham man will get the chance to further extend the record.

Just as he would also have the chance to extend his record as the most subbed off Nigerian in the competition. He has been subbed off 11 times this season in 22 games, two more times than Southampton’s Joe Aribo.

Overall, Iwobi has been subbed off 118 times in the 275 appearances he has made.

The Fulham midfielder is also closing in on three other ‘Nigerian’ records in the competition.

He has had 128 shots on target so far to sit second behind Yakubu Aiyegbeni (135) in the Nigerian all-time list. He has also hit the woodwork eight times, just two behind Obafemi Martins who tops the all-time list.

Iwobi has also been directly involved in two goals scored against his side(s), one behind Ndidi who has had three.