Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has matched Nwankwo Kanu’s record for the most assists by a Nigerian footballer in the Premier League.
The Fulham midfielder provided his 29th assist in the English topflight when he set up Andreas Pereira’s second goal in the Cottagers’ 2-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday.
Iwobi was freed down the right flank following a blistering counter-attack by Marco Silva’s side and the Nigerian threaded a low cross to Pereira, who tapped the ball home from close range.
The result saw Fulham move up to 12th position in the Premier League, while also halting their disappointing run of three matches without a win. Iwobi’s crucial contribution also came with some personal heights, as he became only the second Nigerian to provide 29 assists in the English top-flight after Kanu.
Breakdown of Iwobi’s 29 Premier League assists
Iwobi has played in England all his life. The 27-year-old started his career at Arsenal and was promoted to the senior team in the 2015/2016 season.
He spent four years with the Gunners’ senior team, where he played over 100 matches across all competitions, including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
The Nigeria international contributed two assists in his debut season with the Gunners in the Premier League and added three more in the next season. In the 2017/2018 campaign, he provided five assists, while also recording five assists in the following season to take his assists tally for the Gunners to 15 in the Premier League.
Having swapped the Emirates for Everton in the summer of 2019, Iwobi spent four years with the Toffees and recorded 12 assists for the Merseyside outfit in that period. Since joining Fulham at the start of the 2023/23 season, the midfielder has now provided two assists in the league.
His assist against Fulham on Sunday saw him equal Kanu’s record of 29 assists in the Premier League. Iwobi now has the chance to become Nigeria’s highest assist provider in the English topflight in the coming weeks.
