Nigerian stars to watch on Boxing Day

Football doesn’t stop in England and Nigerian stars will be in action for Fulham, Southampton and Nottingham Forest just as Tolu Arokodare hopes to end the year on a high with Genk in Belgium, ABIODUN ADEWALE writes

IWOBI, BASSEY (CHELSEA VS FULHAM)

Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey will make a short trip with Fulham to face Chelsea, as the Cottagers will hope to end a 45-year winless run at Stamford Bridge when they face their West London neighbours on Boxing Day.

The Cottagers will have aspirations of following in the footsteps of Manchester and Liverpool by becoming the third team to beat Chelsea in the Premier League this season.

For that to happen, Fulham will have to beat their West London neighbours in an away game for the first time since they recorded a 2-0 victory in October 1979. In the 45 years since that result, the Cottagers have drawn eight and lost 14 of their 22 competitive away games against Chelsea.

Iwobi, who is the joint top scorer of the club in the EPL this season and Bassey, who has played every minute of their matches this season (except Liverpool), will be crucial to Marcos Silva’s side’s ambition.

ARIBO, ONUACHU (SOUTHAMPTON VS WEST HAM)

Life under a new coach begins for Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu on Boxing Day when the Saints host West Ham at the St. Mary’s Stadium. New Southampton boss Ivan Jurić replaced Martin Russell and will determine how involved the Nigerian players will be in his ambition of saving the bottom-placed team from relegation.

Aribo has featured in 16 of their 17 games this season while Onuachu has appeared seven times and notably started against Liverpool.

OLA AINA (FOREST VS TOTTENHAM)

Aina was among the goalscorers the last time out, when Forest beat Brentford 2-0 away from home and he will hope to continue in the form when they face Tottenham Hotspur at the City Ground. Unlike Aina, his countryman, Taiwo Aowniyi hasn’t turned up for Forest this season. He has played 12 games this season but most of them have come from the bench.

TOLU AROKODARE

(ANTWERP VS GENK)

Arokodare has been the most important man for Genk this season, leading the charts for the club in terms of goals and assists. All eyes will be on the lanky striker again as the table toppers visit Antwerp on Boxing Day. Arokodare has scored 11 goals plus four assists for Genk this season and another strike would see him go joint-top with Anderlecht’s Kasper Dolberg in the scorers’ chart.