EPL: Brentford hold Chelsea, Aribo wins with Southampton, Iwobi loses again
The midweek games in the Premier League threw up all shades of results for the Nigerian players in action.
While Joe Aribo’s Southampton finally returned to winning ways, Alex Iwobi and his Everton teammates were condemned to their third consecutive defeats.
For Frank Onyeka, he would be glad as Brentford held Chelsea to a barren draw in what was another London Derby.
Brentford 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea maintained their unbeaten run under Graham Potter but had to settle for a point after a damp squib of a derby at Brentford finished goalless.
The Blues made the short trip across west London on the back of five successive victories in all competitions, winning each of the last four without conceding.
Once again they kept a clean sheet, but there was a distinct lack of cutting edge up front as they drew a blank against the Bees.
There was also another injury scare for England boss Gareth Southgate after midfielder Conor Gallagher limped off early on.
Newcastle 1 Everton 0
Miguel Almiron’s fifth goal of the season handed in-form Newcastle a third Premier League win in four games as they ground their way to a 1-0 victory over Everton.
The Paraguay international’s class 31st-minute finish was enough to clinch the three points on a night when Eddie Howe’s side were not at their best and had to survive a second-half fightback by the Toffees to extend their unbeaten run to six matches.
Everton, for whom striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin played 73 minutes in his first start of the season, were decidedly second-best before the break and perhaps fortunate to be just a single goal behind.
They improved markedly as the Magpies tired but without ever troubling goalkeeper Nick Pope and slipped to a third successive defeat as a result.
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 1
Southampton eased mounting pressure on manager Ralph Hasenhüttl by climbing out of the Premier League relegation zone thanks to a nervy 1-0 win over Bournemouth.
Che Adams’s early header proved decisive at Vitality Stadium as Saints ended a five-match winless run and kept a first clean sheet in 17 top-flight games, dating back to April.
Bournemouth dominated the second half but created little across the evening before slipping to a first defeat in seven games under the guidance of interim manager Gary O’Neil.
Southampton’s overdue victory lifted them to 14th, two points and three places below their hosts, while providing welcome respite for under-fire boss Hasenhüttl.
