Iwobi enters Premier League history with 100 appearances for a third club

Alex Iwobi reached a rare Premier League milestone on a difficult afternoon for Fulham. By starting against Crystal Palace, he became only the fifth player in the competition’s history to make 100 appearances for three different clubs.

The Nigeria international had already made 100 league appearances for Arsenal and 123 for Everton. His appearance for Fulham brought him to 322 Premier League matches overall, placing him alongside Gareth Barry, James Milner, Gary Speed and Rory Delap.

The landmark came in a 3-2 defeat at Craven Cottage. Fulham took the lead in the 11th minute when Joshua King’s effort deflected past Dean Henderson. Tyrick Mitchell equalized in the 35th minute after an earlier goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review. Cesar Palacios restored Fulham’s advantage before Mitchell scored again nine minutes into the second half. Ben Chilwell completed Palace’s comeback in the 77th minute by firing a loose ball into the bottom corner.

Calvin Bassey, another Super Eagles defender, also played for Fulham. The result extended a poor start for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, which had already lost 3-2 to Chelsea on the opening day and 1-0 to Sunderland.

Iwobi’s path to the record began in Lagos before he moved to England as a child and joined Arsenal’s Hale End academy at six. Arsene Wenger gave him his senior debut in a League Cup match at the start of the 2015-16 season, followed four days later by his Premier League debut as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Swansea City. He left Arsenal after four first-team seasons with 100 league appearances, 11 goals, 17 assists and an FA Cup winners’ medal. Everton signed him for about €34 million in August 2019, where a succession of managers used him in several positions before he developed into a hardworking and tactically disciplined player.