How did Nigeria's Premier League exports fair in the opening weekend of the 2024/25 season?

The 2024/25 Premier League season is underway, and the usual suspects are already rearing their heads. Arsenal and Liverpool have pushed Manchester City over reason seasons, finishing as runners-up to the unstoppable Blues five teams between them in recent years. Both teams began their new campaigns with 2-0 victories, asserting their status as contenders once again. 

The Gunners are the most recent team to have battled it out with Pep Guardiola. They have finished as runners-up in each of the last two seasons, including taking the title race down to the final day last term. They managed to begin the new campaign with a 2-0 victory against Wolves at the Emirates thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka. 

For Liverpool, they are entering the post-Jurgen Klopp era. The iconic German boss opted to leave the club at the end of last season, and former Feyenoord manager Arne Slot has taken his place in the dugout. He managed to mastermind a hard-fought 2-0 victory away at newly promoted Ipswich Town thanks to goals from Diogo Jota and the inevitable Mohamed Salah. 

Nigeria as a country has had no shortage of Premier League exports over the years, but how did the current crop of Super Eagles fair on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 season? 

Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey 

Fulham started not one but two Nigeria internationals in the Premier League's curtain raiser. Both Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey started for the Cottagers as they made the trip to face Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have fallen the pecking order somewhat following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement just over a decade ago, as demonstrated by their latest betting odds. If you were to place a bet at Bovada's sportsbook on United winning the title this season, you would get whopping odds of +2000, some way behind the aforementioned leading trio. 

For both Iwobi and Bassey, they headed up to Old Trafford full of confidence. Both players have made a name for themselves in recent years, both reaching a Europa League final albeit coming up empty-handed. On this occasion, they would come out empty-handed once more as the hosts secured a narrow 1-0 victory through Joshua Zirkzee's late strike. 

The result would have been a strange one for Nigerians to take. Manchester United are the most supported Premier League club in the country by some distance. However, lining up against two Super Eagles would have made it difficult to support the Red Devils. At least however both players made good impressions, playing the full 90 minutes and having their moments despite finishing on the losing side. 

Joe Aribo 

Joe Aribo played alongside Calvin Bassey in that aforementioned Europa League final. They were both key players for Scottish side Rangers, who reached the final of Europe's secondary competition back in 2022. Aribo managed to get his name on the scoresheet, giving his side the lead in the 57th minute. But unfortunately, that was as good as it got, and Eintracht Frankfurt eventually triumphed on penalties. 

Two years on and the former Charlton Athletic man now turns out for newly promoted Southampton. Aribo was a key man as the Saints returned to the Premier League last season by defeating Leeds United in the Championship Playoff Final. He started on the opening weekend and caught the eye, but unfortunately, he too would come out on the losing side. 

Southampton headed to Newcastle for their first game of the campaign, and they may well have thought that they were on for victory when Magpies defender Fabian Schar was sent off in the first half for a clash of heads with Ben Brereton Diaz. Unfortunately for the Saints, that harsh dismissal fired up the hosts, who took the lead through Joelinton and never looked back. 

Despite pressing throughout the second half, neither Aribo nor his teammates were able to find an equaliser against the ten-men Toon and they eventually succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat. 

Taiwo Awoniyi 

Giant striker Taiwo Awoniyi has emerged as one of the best target men in European football. He burst onto the scene with Union Berlin three years ago, helping the underdog German side reach the UEFA Champions League for the first time in history. Following that success, the former Liverpool youngster made the move to Nottingham Forest and proceeded to bag ten goals in his maiden Premier League campaign. 

Last season, goals were harder to come by. Awoniyi netted just six times in an injury-hit campaign, losing his spot in the starting lineup to New Zealand striker Chris Wood. The former Leeds man retained his spot for the Tricky Trees' opening-day clash against Bournemouth at the City Ground and managed to give his side the lead. Awoniyi replaced him in the 72nd minute, but things didn't go as planned. The visitors managed to back a late equaliser through Ghanian striker Antoine Semenyo, meaning that Awoniyi and his teammates had to settle for a point. 
 

ifeanyi Emmanuel