The international break is finally over and as expected, domestic football returned to the top leagues across Europe at the weekend as Victor Anichebe stole the show once again.
Nigerians continued to throw their weight about in the various competitions across the old continent and supersport.com now runs the rule on how the lads performed at their respective clubs.
ENGLAND (PREMIER LEAGUE)
Alex Iwobi was widely expected to play a part in the big game between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford, but it was not to be.
He was on the bench for all 90 minutes as the man who has consistently come on for him as a substitute in recent weeks, Olivier Giroud, came off the bench to head home a late equaliser as the two sets of Gladiators fought out a 1-1 draw at the Theatre of Dreams.
Victor Anichebe is the flavour of the month in the northeast of England and the larger metropolitan area of Tyne and Wear following consistently impressive performances for Sunderland.
The big striker scored two goals to help the Black Cats beat Hull City 3-0 at the Stadium of Light.
It was Anchebe’s second and third goals in his last two league matches for Sunderland.
Victor Moses is another man at the top of his game in England, and on Sunday he got the nod yet again. Antonio Conte started him as Chelsea stormed to the summit of the standings with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
Mikel John Obi caused national uproar last week and a hugely anti-climatic week ended with Conte ignoring him in Chelsea’s win at the Riverside.
Odion Ighalo has struggled in recent weeks and he seems to have lost his place in the Watford first team.
The Hornets’ manager, Walter Mazzarri, elected to play captain Troy Deeney as a lone striker, flanked by Nordin Amrabat and Roberto Perreyra in the club’s 2-1 victory over champions, Leicester City at Vicarage Road.
Ighalo watched the entire game from the bench.
Ahmed Musa was in action for the champions at the ‘Vic’ as he came off the bench to replace Marc Albrighton in the 78th minute.
Yaya Toure’s pop-star-esque appearance/performance for Manchester City in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park overshadowed Pep Guardiola’s decision to deploy Kelechi Iheanacho as an unused substitute on Saturday.
GERMANY (BUNDESLIGA)
Leon Balogun replaced Jhon Córdoba in stoppage time as Mainz 05 beat Freiburg 4-2 at OPEL-ARENA (Mainz).
ITALY (SERIE A)
Joel Obi replaced Daniele Baselli in the 72nd minute of Torino’s 2-0 win over the bottom club, Crotone at Stadio Ezio Scida.
Simeone Nwankwo was a late substitute for the vanquished side.
Youngster Sadiq Umar continued his professional football education at pace and on Sunday he was an unused Bologna substitute as the Rossoblu beat Palermo 3-1 at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
SPAIN (PRIMERA DIVISION)
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has been building a virile national team populated by precocious talent and he will no doubt be impressed by the inroads one of his newly-drafted stalwarts, Uche Agbo has been making in the Liga Santander.
The young defender played in midfield for Granada CF on Sunday as Nazaríes drew 1-1 with Valencia at the Mestalla.
Agbo, who played all 90 minutes, was booked by referee Alejandro Hernández in the third minute of second half stoppage time.
FRANCE (LIGUE 1)
This has been an extremely difficult season for Vincent Enyeama and French club side Lille OSC, and on Sunday Les Douges lost once again.
Enyeama and his teammates suffered a 1-0 defeat to Marseille at Stade Pierre-Mauroy as the competition entered matchday 13.
The 34-year-old former Super Eagles captain has played in every minute of Lille’s 13 league matches this term.
TURKEY (SUPER LIG)
Kenneth Omeruo was not listed for Alanyaspor in the 2-0 defeat to Osmanlispor at Osmanli Stadi.
Emem Eduok has slowly but surely established himself in the first team of Kasimpasa.
He was on from start to finish for his side in the 2-2 draw with Karabükspor at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadyumu.
Emmanuel Emenike replaced Volkan Sen with five minutes remaining in the big game of the weekend between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray.
Emenike was on the winning side as the Yellow Canaries prevailed 2-0 over their bitter rivals at Ülker Stadyumu Fenerbahçe Sükrü Saracoglu Spor Kompleksi.
RUSSIA (PREMIER LEAGUE)
Sylvester Igbonu played the entire game for FC Ufa and helped his side amass maximum points in the 1-0 win over Anzhi Makhachkala at Anzhi-Arena (Kaspiysk).
Ezekiel Henty was an unused Lokomotiv Moscow substitute in the club’s 1-1 draw with Orenburg at Stadion Gazovik.
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