Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterThe trouble with the streets is they dont know what theyre talking about.The streets are a poor judge. The streets forget better players than they remember. Football needs entertainers but theres a difference between a show pony and a true star. The real ones dont need apologetic social media validation because their impact speaks for itself.The streets remember players because nobody would remember them if they didnt. The streets will forget Alex Iwobi because the streets are coated with the cast-off chewing gum of fools.Alex Iwobi isnt flash but stability is a superpowerIn a season of change at Fulham, Iwobis re-emergence could prove an important development. The Cottagers were a steady proposition for almost five years under the leadership of manager Marco Silva, an eternity in the modern game, and are navigating the aftermath of his departure to Benfica.Replacing Silva with Alvaro Arbeloa was a gamble. Even if it plays out in Fulhams favour the early days were bound to be rocky, but after two draws and four defeats in the Premier League, there it was: Iwobi scored the only goal in a 1-0 Fulham win, their first of 2026/27. You may like Brian Brobbey is a lesson to fans: maybe we should all be kinder to young 'flop' forwards Fulham are a side edging closer to domestic success and European qualification, but can new boss Alvaro Arbeloa get them over the line? Fulham 2026-27 season preview How �100m transfer failure and Chelsea greed has unlocked Everton's PFA Young Player of the Year bid Consecutive 1-0 wins over promoted opponents do not a smoother path make, but its better to beat Hull City and then Coventry City than not. Iwobi was at the heart of those victories, leading by example as he has since he joined Fulham from Everton three years ago.Fulhams slow start is masking Iwobis consistent ability to show his teammates how its done. In terms of an understated positive influence on his team, the 30-year-old is one of the most overlooked players in the Premier League.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.He was a big part of the reliable outfit Silvas Fulham became and the same traits are starting to emerge on Arbeloas watch too.Iwobi is a player of experience and assuredness, and his value is best understood over months and seasons than match by match.Hes not a highlights player, nor social media fodder, nor the kind of unsung conductor who eventually gets his recognition. He exists somewhere in between. What to read next Why Fulhams generational talent must learn from Harvey Elliott, Ryan Sessegnon transfer mistakes 'The Fairy' operating in the shadow of the all-conquering Granit Xhaka, who will go down as a modern-day Sunderland legend The West Bromwich Albion star making use of a Chelsea academy springboard and Englands maligned loan system Iwobi leads Fulham by example year after yearThe Nigerian international is averaging more key passes per match in the Premier League than any other Fulham player so far this season. Only Oscar Bobb is creating more chances per 90 minutes than Iwobi, and the difference is wafer-thin at most.Iwobi leads his team for both crosses (with the second-highest success rate) and through balls and has the same expected assists (xA) value per 90 minutes as Manchester Citys Rayan Cherki. Only Phil Foden is above them.He has Fulhams highest number of successful passes in the attacking third and sits 12th in the Premier League. Hes one of a handful of Fulham players with a pass success rate above 90 per cent.Shea Charles can outrank him on a few measures. Josh King can outrank him here and there. Bobb, too. But Iwobis immutable superpower is that he shows up at or near the top of ranking after ranking after ranking, and he does it every year.In May, when Iwobi returned from a hamstring injury that had kept him out for a month and was therefore the longest absence hes ever had as a Fulham player, his manager explained his importance.He's a big player for us, definitely, said Silva in one of his final press conferences as the Fulham boss. He's a player who's very versatile, who can play in many different positions. He's also a player that can add extra quality in the decision making.In all aspects of the game he's a key player for us and he's shown it again this season.Silvas appointment as Jose Mourinhos successor at the Estadio da Luz was already in the post by the time those words of praise tumbled from his lips in West London. Football can sometimes be guilty of underestimating the tumult such a change can create when a manager has been in place for such a long time.Fulham need Iwobis stable input this season more than they have at any other time since he followed Silva to Craven Cottage.Arbeloa needs him to lead the way along with the likes of Harrison Reed, Kenny Tete, Sander Berge, Timothy Castagne, Antonee Robinson and captain Tom Cairney to set the example for Bobb, King, Charles, Kevin and the managers trio of young Spanish prospects to follow this season and in the seasons to come.TOPICSFulhamPremier LeagueChris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.
