Eagles in EPL winless as Ndidi bags assist in loss

. Aribo defeated, Fulham, Forest duos draw

Super Eagles stars endured a tough weekend in the English Premier League, with Wilfred Ndidi providing an assist in Leicester City’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, while Joe Aribo suffered a loss with Southampton and other Nigerian players settled for draws.

At the King Power Stadium, Ndidi’s creative moment came as he set up Facundo Buonano for Leicester’s consolation goal. The Foxes had fallen behind to goals from Amadou Onana and Jhon Duran before Ndidi’s assist gave them a glimmer of hope.

However, the Nigerian midfielder was replaced by Bobby De Cordova-Reid one minute from time as Leicester pushed for an equalizer. The result leaves the Foxes winless this season with one draw and two defeats, placing them in a precarious position early in the campaign.

Joe Aribo’s Southampton faced a tough 3-1 defeat against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Nigerian midfielder started the match but was substituted in the 82nd minute for Adam Lallana.

Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo was the star of the show, scoring twice, while Yoane Wissa added a third. Yukinari Sugawara netted a late consolation for the Saints. Southampton’s struggles continue as they sit second from bottom in the league table with zero points after three straight losses since their return to the top flight.

At Portman Road, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey of Fulham had to settle for a 1-1 draw against newly promoted Ipswich Town. Liam Delap broke the deadlock for Ipswich with a stunning strike in the opening hour before Adama Traore equalized just after the half-hour mark.

Iwobi completed 97% of his passes in 87 minutes, the highest of any player in the game. He also created two chances, made two key passes, and completed two dribbles.

Bassey, 24, completed the most passes in the match but couldn’t help secure a clean sheet. He won one tackle, made three clearances, and three recoveries.

At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-1 draw against Wolves. Ola Aina played the full 90 minutes for Forest, while Taiwo Awonyi made a brief appearance in added time as he continues his recovery from injury.

Chris Wood gave Forest an early lead with an unchallenged header from a corner, but Wolves’ Jean-Ricner Bellegarde responded immediately with a stunning strike from range. Wood thought he had found a winner late on, but his effort was ruled offside. The result leaves Forest with five points from their opening three matches, still seeking their first home win of the season.

These mixed fortunes for Nigerian players in the Premier League highlight the challenges and opportunities they face as they strive to make their mark in one of the world’s most competitive leagues.

For Aribo and Southampton, the road back to Premier League stability looks challenging, and the Nigerian will need to step up his game to help the Saints climb out of the relegation zone.

As the international break approaches, Nigerian players in the Premier League will be eager to bounce back from a challenging weekend and make their mark when domestic football resumes.