Search icon

Sport

16th Feb 2016

Odion Ighalo reveals the toughest defender he’s faced this season

Kept quiet

Darragh Murphy

There are not many centre-halves that have been able to keep Odion Ighalo at bay this season.

The all-action Watford front man is the joint third top scorer in the Premier League this term, with his tally of 14 keeping him above top strikers like Olivier Giroud (12), Diego Costa (10) and Wayne Rooney (7).

Ighalo is one of the surprise packages of the season, causing havoc for back fours with his seemingly telepathic connection with strike partner Troy Deeney.

If Watford stay up at the first time of asking, which is looking nailed on, most of the credit will lie with Ighalo who has revealed the one opponent who was best able to keep him under wraps this season.

Watford v Arsenal - Premier League

“I think I’ve faced a lot of tough defenders this season,” Ighalo told Goal when collecting his Nigerian Player of the Year award.

“But I would say that against Arsenal, (Laurent) Koscielny didn’t give me enough space to do what I want to do and that game was really difficult.

“I’d have to say it’s Koscielny.”