Gameweek 35 matches of the Premier League resumed today. However, it was a bittersweet day for players of Nigerian origin.
At the St. Mary’s, it was an outstanding performance from Nigeria-eligible midfielder Eberechi Eze, as he helped his Crystal Palace stage a comeback to claim a 2-1 victory against Southampton.
The Eagles went down to a first-half striker from Oriol Romeu. However, they showed great character in the second half.
Nigeria-eligible Eze led the show, as he scored his first goal in eleven months after he latched on to a pass from former Liverpool man Nathaniel Clyne and struck an unstoppable shot into the net.
Palace introduced their second Nigeria-eligible star Michael Olise in the 74th minute, and the introduction of the youngster added a lot of bite to the Eagles’ attack.
Their pressure paid off in the dying embers of the game, as Zaha struck home in stoppage time to ensure a 2-1 victory for Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, it was yet another sad outing for Emmanuel Dennis and his fellow Hornets, as they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Burnley.
The Hornets went a goal up in the eighth minute after James Tarkowski inadvertently struck the ball into his net.
Dennis had a decent display as usual. The Nigerian forward showed a great work rate, pushing forward and helping with defensive work. Dennis had 36 touches, two tackles, and one clearance.
However, his performance was not enough for the Hornets, as two quickfire goals from Jack Cork and Josh Brownhill in the 83rd and 86th minute sealed the 2-1 victory for Watford.
Norwich already got relegated after their 2-0 loss to Aston Villa, and the hornets are almost set to join them as they sit 19th, twelve points away from safety. One more loss would see them drop to the English Championship.
