Brothers at war!

•Eagles quartet clash in Fulham, S’hampton clash

Super Eagles stars Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey will face off against international teammates Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu when high-flying Fulham visit struggling Southampton in their final Premier League fixture before Christmas on Sunday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The clash at St Mary’s Stadium presents a stark contrast in fortunes for the Nigerian contingent, with Iwobi and Bassey helping Fulham push for European places while Aribo and Onuachu battle relegation with the Saints.

Iwobi has been in scintillating form this season, matching his best Premier League goal tally with five strikes and establishing himself as Fulham’s joint-top scorer as the Cottagers sit eighth in the table.

The former Arsenal man has credited manager Marco Silva for his excellent performances this term.

“If I do make a mistake, I can go again,” Iwobi said.

“It’s nice to have a manager who gives you the confidence to do that. Players normally do well when they are confident and with me, feeling confident to express myself on and off the pitch, I almost feel unstoppable.”

Meanwhile, Aribo has shown signs of revival under new Saints boss Ivan Juric, scoring twice in his 15 Premier League appearances this season, including strikes against Leicester City and Chelsea, ending a six-month goal drought in the process.

His number have matched the same he got in the entire 2022/23 campaign where they suffered relegation.

However, the midfielder’s improved form hasn’t been enough to lift Southampton off the bottom of the table, with the Saints nine points adrift of safety having collected just five points from 16 matches.

Onuachu’s struggles continue at St Mary’s, with the towering striker failing to score in eight appearances this season. The 29-year-old’s future remains uncertain amid strong interest from Turkish giants Beşiktaş.

Fulham arrive at St Mary’s in impressive form, having taken points off Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in their past four games. Their recent 2-2 draw at Anfield showcased their resilience against the league leaders.

The Cottagers have found the net in each of their last 15 Premier League matches; the longest current scoring run in the division, though they’ve managed just one clean sheet in their previous 10 games.

Southampton’s temporary coach Simon Rusk showed signs of improvement in Wednesday’s narrow 2-1 EFL Cup quarter-final loss to Liverpool, but the Saints will spend Christmas Day in last place for the first time since 1992.

History favours Fulham in this fixture, with Silva’s side completing the double over Southampton two seasons ago with 2-1 home and 2-0 away victories, contributing to the Saints’ relegation from the top flight.

The Cottagers could climb as high as fifth with a victory, while Southampton desperately need three points to boost their survival hopes before the festive period.