The Nigerian international scored a brace at the weekend against Liverpool, taking his goal tally this season to 12 in just 17 matches. The 26 year-old has not looked back since scoring against Everton on his debut on 8 August 2015.
The Lagos-born Watford striker has taken the premier League by storm. After five years on loan at different clubs in Spain and Italy, the 6ft 2in tall forward as found a stable home in England and is already a terror to the League’s best defenders.
SoccerNet Nigeria looks at the stats and figures that make Odion Ighalo a striking sensation.
Starting with his finest stat of all: Odion Ighalo has scored more league goals in England’s top four tiers in 2015 than any other player. In other words, no one has scored more goals in England in 2015 than the Nigerian, all while playing for modest Watford. More than Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa and Jamie Vardy.
After netting an amazing 20 goals in 38 appearances for the Hornets in the Championship, Ighalo quickly dispensed any talk of being a ‘one season wonder’ or ‘lower league striker’ once Watford made the step up to the elite division.
It took Odion Ighalo only 9 minutes on the pitch to score his first Premier League goal in a 2-2 draw with Everton, restoring Watford’s lead with seven minutes of play left after he was introduced into the encounter as a 74th minute substitute. It was the newly promoted side’s first top-flight game since 2006-07.
By the end of October, Odion Ighalo had become the highest scorer in Watford’s Premier League history on seven goals, overtaking Heidar Helguson and Hameur Bouazza on six.
The Nigerian had netted again in Watford’s 2-0 trashing of West Ham at Vicarage Road, the first time Watford have scored more than once at home in a Premier League game since April 2007 (4-2 vs Portsmouth).
That game was also West Ham’s first defeat at Vicarage Road since April 1985, having been unbeaten in 11 games at the ground since then (W8 D3).
It was a sign of greater things to come.
Ighalo’s brace at the weekend condemned Liverpool to their heaviest Premier League defeat to a promoted side since losing 3-0 to Newcastle United in November 1993. It also ensured that the weekend ended with all three promoted sides winning on the same match day for the first time since September 2011 (MD5).
Odion Ighalo has now scored five goals in his last four Premier league appearances at Vicarage Road. The goals helping Watford win their first ever back-to-back home games in the Premier League.
For anyone doubting how important the striker’s goals have been for the Hornets, Ighalo’s strikes have ensured that Watford have already equaled their entire points tally of 28 from their last Premier League season in 2006/07.
With more than 20 matches still to play, don’t bet against Odion Ighalo chalking up more incredible stats this season.
Watford finally have another legend in the making.
