EiE: Emmanuel Dennis stars for Watford

Emmanuel Dennis of Watford and his Nigerian and Super Eagles mates have started the new season like they mean business for the 2021/22. 

The former Club Brugge of Belgium forward headlines the first edition of the Eagles in Europe, EiE, for the new campaign after an impressive debut for his new club Watford in the Popular English Premier League. 

Also in this feature are Alex Iwobi, Chidera Ejuke, Paul Onuachu, Moses Simon, Jamilu Collins, Terem Moffi, Ahmed Musa and of course, former Liverpool youngster Taiwo Awoniyi. 

Watford shocked big spenders this summer, Aston Villa 3-2 with Nigeria’s Dennis at the end of everything good done by the Hornets on Saturday. 

In what was his debut match in the PL, the 23-year-old scored the opener and celebrated with his compatriots at the club, Oghenekaro Etebo and William Troost-Ekong before he assisted Ismaila Sarr for the second to hand his side a comfortable 2-0 lead at the break. 

Villa did pull two goals back through John Mcgrin and debutant Danny Ings, but that was after Juan Hernandez’s 67th-minute goal extended Watford’s lead to 3-0. 

Dennis’s goal meant he became just the fourth Nigerian to have scored on their Premier League debut but the second from Nigeria to do so for the Hornets after former Super Eagles man Odion Ighalo.

While Etebo and Troost-Ekong played from start to finish, Dennis lasted 66 minutes on the pitch but had done enough to be voted man of the match. 

In a packed Goodison Park, playmaker Alex Iwobi came off the bench to inspire Everton to a comfortable 3-1 win over Southampton. 

With the Toffees tied at 1-1, the former Arsenal man replaced new arrival Andros Townsend on 70th minute and six minutes later, he repaid his manager’s decision to send him on when he set up Abdoulaye Doucoure to put them in front for the first time in the game. 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin added a third five minutes later to make ot 3-1 and complete the comeback win. 

That assist was Iwobi’s first involvement in a goal for Everton since he scored one against Wolves back on January 12, 2021. 

Okay, he didn’t score a goal but it was also a productive weekend for Nigeria’s latest PL import, Frank Onyeka, who put in a solid shift to help his newly promoted club Brentford shock former PL giants Arsenal 2-0 in their season opener. 

He featured for 80 minutes and showed why those at the club have already nicknamed him “the tank”. 

France based Terem Moffi started the weekend on a positive note after he scored his first of the season to help Lorient to a narrow 1-0 win over AS Monaco in the Ligue 1 on Friday. 

Moses Simon proved to be unplayable after setting up both goals for Nantes in a 2-0 win over Metz on Sunday. 

He was on from start to finish and created the most chances (5) in the game, with 3 key passes and was named man of the match. He now has 3 assists in 2 Ligue 1 matches 

Chidera Ejuke was at his creative best for CSKA Moscow, picking up an assist in a 1-3 away win at FC Rostov. He was on the pitch for 61 minutes, created 3 chances and made two key passes.

For Jamilu Collins, he helped his demoted Paderborn side to an impressive 1-4 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga 2 with an assist and played from start to finish. 

Paul Onuachu is back to what he knows best, scoring goals for Genk in the Jupiler League after his latest strike for them in the 4-0 thrashing of OUD Leuven. It was his second of the season and the giant is up and going. 

In Turkey, Super Eagles Ahmed Musa was not left out of the party as he opened his account for new club Fatih Karagumruk in a 3-1 win at home to Gaziantep FK.

He may not have played for the Super Eagles yet but former Nigerian youth International Taiwo Awoniyi has opened his account for new club Union Berlin following his return to on a permanent deal from Liverpool. 

The 24-year-old netted an absolute stunner to earn his club a point after a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga. 

Meanwhile, back to Ligue 1 where Super Eagles wide forward Samuel Kalu caused a scare after he collapsed on the pitch during his club, Bordeaux’s 2-2 draw at Marseille.

The winger had complained of dizziness according to reports, and fell to the ground unchallenged when Marseille player Dimitri Payet wanted to take a free kick in the first half. 

While we can confirm Kalu is fine now, he was subsequently replaced for precautionary reasons in the 14th minute with both sides still playing 0-0.