On February 11, 2024, Alex Iwobi suffered one of the lowest moments in his entire career. His Nigeria side relinquished an early lead and lost 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations Final, narrowly missing out on their first AFCON title since 2013. Over the following days, Iwobi was subject to a barrage of threats and insults on social media, prompting him to delete over 100 Instagram posts.
By Zach Lowy
Fast forward a year, and Alex Iwobi is in the best form of his life for Marco Silva’s Fulham, who occupy 10th place. Iwobi sits atop Fulham’s squad for Premier League goal contributions (10) alongside Raúl Jiménez, as well as big chances created (7) alongside Adama Traoré. He’s created 43 chances – six more than any other player – and he (7.41) is the second-highest-rated player in their squad after Antonee Robinson (7.50) according to the FotMob player ratings.
After joining Fulham for £22 million in September 2023, Iwobi quickly established himself as a dynamic attacking threat with six goals and two assists in 33 appearances. He’s already outdone last season’s tally, racking up seven goals and three assists in 26 matches for the Cottagers.
“Following the departure of Willian, Fulham needed a midfield conductor and maestro, and it is Iwobi rather than big-money signing Emile Smith Rowe who has stepped into this role,” stated Fulham tactical analyst The Cottage Tactico. “Beyond the dribbles, passes, and shots, he’s trusted by Silva to execute his game plan and patterns. The trust Marco Silva has in him is such that he’ll often play multiple positions in a single game, with his location on the pitch determining where Fulham concentrate play, be it on the left, right or in the middle.”
Willian’s departure has freed up space for Iwobi to become the team’s chief playmaker and take his game to the next level at Craven Cottage. Whether it’s carrying the ball from one penalty box to the other or slicing through a web of opponents with a lofted pass, Iwobi is capable of making the difference in the final third and swinging the tide of events in the blink of an eye. He is adept at advancing possession from the middle third to the final third, boasting the physical prowess and technical finesse to jostle opponents whilst keeping the ball glued to his feet, and he has the vision to unleash Antonee Robinson’s overlapping runs down the left flank with an inch-pefect pass. Iwobi constantly has his head on a swivel, able to detect the slightest intervention from an opposition player and quickly shuffle the ball onto his other foot in order to maintain possession.
Moreover, Iwobi’s versatility, intelligence and decision-making have enabled him to deputise in a variety of positions whilst avoiding the ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ tag. The Lagos-born technician has delivered his best form on the left side of attack in Silva’s 4-2-3-1 formation, but he’s also been utilised in several other roles, be that slotting into central midfield to help Fulham cope with Newcastle’s physically imposing midfield, or filling in at right wing-back and enabling Traoré the freedom to run riot against Manchester City. He’s a team player who has the defensive acumen, work rate and physical mettle to do the dirty work and chip in out of possession in a way that other attacking midfielders simply don’t have in their locker.
“He’s been our best player this season,” said Jack Collins, co-host of the Fulhamish podcast. “Iwobi is a multidimensional attacking threat – when we see him in different positions, he’s not just doing the same things from different angles. On the left wing, he’s taken up Willian’s role from last season by cutting inside and allowing Robinson to overlap, but when he’s playing on the right, he can still deliver a dangerous cross into the box. He’s changing and adapting his game to best fulfil the needs of the team, and I think that’s what’s elevated him this season from being a good squad player who starts most weeks to being the first name on the sheet to being Fulham’s creative fulcrum.”
Iwobi is proving indispensable for Fulham – only Calvin Bassey, Bernd Leno and Robinson have played more minutes in the Premier League – but as good as he’s been this season, his importance is highlighted even more when he’s not on the pitch. Fulham don’t have another player in their roster who can thread the needle and unlock a deep block, who can attract rivals, free up space, and find their unmarked teammate with a precise through ball, and who can conjure up a moment of magic when all else seems lost.
In contrast to other teams like Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and Brentford, Fulham don’t have a prolific centre forward in their squad – not since Aleksandar Mitrović’s move to Al-Hilal in 2023. Rodrigo Muniz (9) was their top scorer last season, whilst Raúl Jiménez (8) currently leads their scoring charts. As such, whilst his compatriots Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi are dreaming of Champions League football at the City Ground, Iwobi will have to content himself with yet another season of safely avoiding the threat of relegation.
This lack of a proven finisher means that many of the golden opportunities that Iwobi concocts do not achieve their desired end product, and it also means that Iwobi has had to step up as a consistent source of goals. Having scored 9 goals in 140 Everton appearances and 15 appearances in 149 Arsenal appearances, he’s already racked up 13 goals in 59 appearances for Fulham.
At 28, Iwobi has cemented his status as a veteran leader in Fulham’s well-drilled unit, a player who steps up and delivers the goods when his team needs him the most, and he’ll be looking to come up clutch on Saturday in Newcastle. The last time these two sides met, Iwobi delivered a Man of the Match display, creating five chances (including an assist) and registering 3 shots in a 3-1 win. If Fulham are to come away with their first Premier League victory at St. James’ Park since 2009, they’ll need Iwobi to be at his brilliant best.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow all the action from the Premier League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.