Iwobi overtakes Chelsea legend Mikel on Premier League’s all-time appearance chart
Before the match, he shared the record of 249 appearances with the Chelsea legend. However, his participation against the Eagles propelled him past his former Super Eagles teammate.
Iwobi accrued 250 caps during a spell that saw him represent Arsenal, Everton and now the Cottagers during his nine-year participation in the English elite division.
Interestingly, he holds the record for the Nigerian player with the most minutes played in the English top division (16,540), with Obi Mikel in second place, having accumulated 16,228 minutes.
Should he play in Fulham's upcoming three matches, he would surpass Yakubu Ayegbeni's milestone of 252 appearances, achieved during his stints at Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers.
Newcastle United icon Shola Ameobi holds the record for Nigeria's most capped player in the competition with 298 appearances spanning from 2000 to 2015. There, he also scored an impressive 43 goals.
Two-time African Player of the Year Nwankwo Kanu, who represented Arsenal, Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion occupies second spot with 273 appearances achieved between 1999-2012, with 54 goals to the forward’s name.
How did Iwobi fare against Crystal Palace?
Alongside Calvin Bassey, Iwobi was on parade from start to finish but he could not inspire Marco Silva’s men to secure maximum points.
After a goalless first half at the Craven Cottage, Rodrigo Muniz powered the hosts ahead with a cool finish in the 52nd minute having been set up by Timothy Castagne.
With three minutes left on the clock, Ghana international Jeffrey Schlupp restored parity for the visiting side as honour was shared in London.
Iwobi contributed one cross, made 42 touches, completed 32 passes, and provided one key pass with a passing accuracy of 75%. Defensively, he executed two tackles, all of which resulted in free kicks against his team.
What was said after the match?
Although disappointed not to claim all three points, Marco Silva admitted that a draw was likely a fair outcome against Crystal Palace.
“Of course, we are not happy with the result but at the same time we have to say that it’s a fair result, in my opinion,” he told the club website.
“Our first half was not at the level that we normally play at home. I know that it’s a cliché, but we saw two completely different halves.
“First half, Palace were better, the way they started, they were more aggressive on and off the ball than us. We were not calm enough to build our attacks like we would normally do.
“The moment that Bernd got a small injury was important for us to give some feedback for the players in that moment, and we started to react.
"I think the last 10 minutes of the first half were much better, and the second half was completely different.”
He added: “It was a tough game against a side that is in a good moment, but second half we scored a nice goal. The way we won that ball high on the pitch, good combination out wide on the right-hand side, and great assist from Timo to Rodri.
“Even so, we tried to keep the same intensity in the game to try to find a way to score the second goal. We had a very good chance with Bobby, scoring that chance should have killed the game.
“Unfortunately we didn't, and a great strike from Schlupp (equalised), but we should have prevented much better that moment to not allow the ball in that area of the pitch.
“Unfortunately, we didn't block that moment and they scored an amazing goal.”
What is next for Iwobi and Fulham?
Iwobi is expected to feature when Fulham visit Brentford in their next outing on May 4th.
As things stand, they occupy the 13th position in the English elite division log having accrued 43 points from 35 matches played so far.
