Nigerian players in the Premier League ahead of Round 11

This season, like in the previous campaigns, Nigerian players have been registered in various Premier League teams and they continue having a mark in the English top flight.

Nigerian players in the past seasons have made a name in the most watched league in the world; from the likes of Augustine Okocha, to Nwankwo Kanu, Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Joseph Yobo.

This season, seven Nigerian players are registered in the Premier League and each one of them has had a taste of league action in the league. While Eberechi Eze, Alex Iwobi and Semi Ajayi have featured the most this season (nine times), Odion Ighalo is the player with the least game time under his belt.

Manchester United’s Ighalo, who is on loan from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua, played just nine minutes in the team’s opening league match as they lost to Crystal Palace. There is little sign his absence from the team will end soon, with Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani hitting top form.

Cavani has scored three goals in the five league matches he has played and it is likely Ighalo will spend more time either on the bench or in the stands. His team faces West Ham United in the next game and Ighalo is not expected to feature.

Meanwhile, at Leicester City, two Nigerian players found a home – Wilfred Ndidi, a defensive midfielder, and Kelechi Iheanacho, a forward. Ndidi is still out injured after playing just two league matches, then deployed in defence, and will not be part of the action when the team faces Sheffield United.

On the other hand, Iheanacho has been used sparingly in the league and fully in the Europa League. While he has scored three in the Europa League, he is yet to find the back of the net in the four league matches he has played.

Leicester have not had it easy in the recent matches, and after the loss to Fulham on Monday, manager Brendan Rodgers will hope Iheanacho and his mates lift the team against Sheffield United.

At Everton, Alex Iwobi has failed to bring the spark he had at Arsenal, which saw the club part with £40m to have him. However, after starting in the last two matches, and playing in nine of the 10 league games so far, his confidence is coming back.

The manager, Carlo Ancelotti has shown some belief in him and with the team winning just one of their last six matches, the Italian could do with Iwobi’s creativity. The team lost to Leeds United in their last game but a number of bookmakers back Everton to bounce back against Burnley in the next game and you can see their betting tips here.

Elsewhere, Ola Aina will head into Match Day 10 with high spirits after aiding Fulham to a 2-1 win over Leicester City on Monday. That win, which served Aina’s seventh game of the season, saw Fulham rise out of the bottom three. Next up, Aina’s team will be facing Manchester City away from home and just like they beat Leicester City away, they will be hoping to shock City. Aina has one goal so far in the season.

The only other Nigerian to have scored in the Premier League this season is Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze. His goal came in the 4-1 win over Leeds United and he remains one of the high rated midfielders in the league, having joined from Queens Park Rangers. He has featured in nine matches and will be a likely starter when the London side hosts West Bromwich Albion at Selhurst Park.

At home to West Brom, Eze will meet another Nigerian – Semi Ajayi. In the 10 matches that West Brom have played this season, Ajayi has featured in nine. After dropping back to the bottom three following Fulham’s win, Ajayi will be looking to aid his team move out of the drop zone when they face Palace, who have lost the last two matches.