Mikel scores first EPL goal after seven years

SEPTEMBER 22, 2013  

NIGERIAN midfielder, Mikel Obi, scored his first ever English Premier League goal on Saturday as Chelsea defeated Fulham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Mikel’s first goal came after 185 EPL appearances for Chelsea since he joined the Blues in 2006 from Lyn Oslo.

Brazilian Oscar put the home side ahead in the 52nd minute but it was Mikel, who put the game beyond the hard fighting visitors with a superb finish with six minutes to regulation time, to the admiration of club owner, Roman Abramovich.

The Nigeria international seems to have realised his attacking instinct as he had scored another classical goal in the 2013 Confederations Cup against Uruguay.

“I am very happy for my goal; it’s been a long time. I also did (score) for the national team. It’s something I always want to do but I have to put myself in the right position,” Mikel said after the match.

Another Nigerian, Sone Aluko fired a spectacular late winner for Hull City as the Tigers twice came back from behind to beat Newcastle 3-2 at St James’ Park.

Loic Remy opened the scoring from close-range in the 10th minute before Robbie Brady drove the equaliser under Tim Krul just before the half-hour.

Remy put the Magpies back in front just before the break but Ahmed Elmohamady headed an equaliser three minutes into the second half, and Aluko won it for the visitors with a superb side-footed volley from the edge of the box in the 76th minute.

Aston Villa survived conceding an early penalty and a first-half injury to their talismanic goalscorer Christian Benteke to give Paul Lambert a 1-0 win at former club Norwich.

Robert Snodgrass saw his sixth-minute spot-kick saved before the visitors lost Benteke to injury, with his replacement Libor Kosak scoring the only goal for Villa.

At Anfield, Dejan Lovren’s second-half header snatched a shock 1-0 win for Southampton at Anfield and consigned Liverpool to their first Premier League defeat of the season.

The Croatian rose highest to head home Adam Lallana’s 54th minute corner despite Steven Gerrard’s desperate attempts to prevent the ball going over the line.

Liverpool’s loss left Everton as the only unbeaten team in the top-flight this season after Leighton Baines inspired a dramatic 3-2 win over 10-man West Ham at Upton Park.