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The 2022-23 European League season is nearing its business end. The race for the league title, spots for European competition next season and the fight for survival heats up. PUNCH Sports Extra JOHNNY EDWARD breaks down all the contending relegation battles involving Nigerian players, exploring what each side needs in the final weeks of the campaign
Arguably, the most intriguing of all the Premier League battles is the one to avoid relegation.
There are a couple of matches left between teams fighting for survival and the biggest task is will they take advantage of the remaining games to avoid the drop?
No fewer than 10 Super Eagles players are in danger of being relegated from topflight football in England and Italy.
In the Premier League, Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, Joe Aribo, Paul Onuachu, Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis are all risk being demoted to the second tier leagues if there is no incredible turnaround in their team’s respective form while in Italy Cremonese duo Cyriel Dessers and David Okereke in danger of being relegated to the Serie B.
Iwobi and his Everton’s teammates currently 17th in the EPL log with a seven goal superior difference above the relegation place endured a testing weekend as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Fulham on Saturday – their 16th of the season and a result which leaves in a dire state with seven games left to play.
The Toffees a face daunting task in their bid to stay up as they will face EPL holders Manchester City, top four chasers Newcastle and relegation battlers Leicester City in their remaining league fixtures.
Leicester City with the duo Iheanacho and Ndidi are currently in 19th position also face an uphill task of avoiding the drop following their loss to Manchester City on Saturday. They will need at least five wins and hope other result of their relegation battlers go their way to be guaranteed a place in the topflight division next season
They face Wolves,Leeds, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham nine their remaining games as they bid to stay up.
The chances of Southampton’s pair Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu surviving the drop looks almost impossible as the Saints remain rock-bottom in the EPL.
Their chance to climb out of the drop zone was missed on what proved to be a dispiriting evening which ended with boos ringing out around St Mary’s following their 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Eberechi Eze bagged a brace as the Eagles continued their resurgence under Roy Hodgson with a win which deepens Southampton’s Premier League relegation concerns.
The defeat was a club-record 20th defeat in a 38-game top-flight campaign.
Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis at Nottingham Forest head into Sunday’s EPL fixture against Manchester United in the bottom three on goal difference.
But Awoniyi remains confident that Steve Cooper’s team will do everything in our power to make sure they are a Premier League club next season.
But he and his teammates must match their talks with results on the pitch as they are in the relegation zone with 27 points from 30 matches.
The Tricky Trees need to beat Manchester United on Sunday to boost their survival hopes. Forest have drawn at The City Ground against Chelsea and holders Manchester City this season.
In Italy, while the Scudetto is in sight for one Nigerian (Victor Osimhen) in the Serie A, two other Super Eagles players are sinking with newly promoted side, Cremonese.
Cremonese who parades the duo of Okereke and Dessers are placed 19th in the Serie A standings with 19 points from 30 games.
The duo have not had an easy life in Italy with the club recording only three wins and 10 draws so far this term.
Dessers has scored six times and made two assists for Cremonese while his compatriot, Okereke is one goal shy despite having the same number of assist.
Those goal contributions (15) have made up over half of Cremonese’s goals (27) this season. Good enough for them, but bad for the club.
All these parading Nigerian players just need to better the hauls of others to stand a chance of survival.
Between now and the end of the season, there will be plenty of changes to the Premier League table and the Serie A, especially at the bottom where every point matters.