Three Super Eagles players, Joe Aribo, Frank Onyeka, and Kelechi Iheanacho, were in action in the Premier League on Saturday, but unfortunately, the Nigerian trio all ended on the losing side.
For Aribo and Onyeka, it was even worse, with Manchester City beating Southampton 4-0 and Brentford losing 5-1 to Newcastle United, respectively.
Unlike his other two compatriots, who came on as substitutes, Aribo was in action from the blast of the whistle at the Etihad Stadium.
However, unlike he did last weekend when he scored against Everton, Aribo huffed and puffed against City before making way for Juan Larios Lopez in the 79th minute.
The latest defeat for the Saints, the fourth in quick succession, has seen Aribo and his teammates hover around the relegation zone.
With seven points from nine games, Southampton presently occupy the 16th position on the Premier League table, though they are just one point above those in the relegation zone.
City go top
City made the Saints bleed as Erling Haaland maintained his excellent goal-scoring form, netting once more this season after netting hat-tricks in his previous three home Premier League games.
City’s opening goal came on 20 minutes from Joao Cancelo before Phil Foden doubled the advantage moments later as the hosts took a healthy 2-0 lead into halftime.
Five minutes after the restart, City put the game to bed when Rodri’s clipped pass to Riyad Mahrez was smartly volleyed past Southampton goalkeeper and former City Academy player Gavin Bazunu.
On 65 minutes, Haaland finally got in on the act with a goal of his own. The victory momentarily puts City on top of the Premier League, although Arsenal will regain the top spot if they beat Liverpool on Sunday.
At St. James’ Park, Onyeka and his Brentford teammates were hammered 5-1 by the high-flying Newcastle United team who have now moved up to the sixth position in the EPL standings.
Bryan Mbeumo thought he’d opened the scoring after 10 minutes for Brentford, but a VAR check chalked off the goal for an offside.
Newcastle, buoyed by the cancellation of Brentford’s opener, took the lead with 22 minutes on the clock when Bruno Guimaraes headed in from Kieran Trippier’s cross.
Six minutes later, Callum Wilson crossed for Jacob Murphy to tap into the empty net.
Ivan Toney reduced the deficit with a 54th-minute penalty awarded for a handball by Dan Burn, but Guimaraes’ long-range blast restored Newcastle’s two-goal advantage two minutes later.
Miguel Almiron struck in the 81st minute and Ethan Pinnock’s 90th-minute own goal completed Brentford’s dismal day.
Iheanacho could not save the day as Bournemouth put under-fire Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers back on the hot seat with a 2-1 win at the Vitality Stadium.
Leicester took the lead in the 10th minute when Patson Daka slotted home. Bournemouth equalised in the 67th minute through Philip Billing, who volleyed into the roof of the net following a mistake from Wout Faes.
Ryan Christie completed Bournemouth’s comeback in the 71st minute with a close-range finish after Dominic Solanke flicked on Billing’s cross.
Though Rodgers threw in Iheanacho afterward, the Nigerian forward could not improve the fortunes of the Foxes this term.
Having won for the first time this season on Monday, Leicester have now lost seven of their last eight games.
