Aribo and Awoniyi lost on their EPL debuts in defeats away from home.
The trio of Super Eagles players-Joe Aribo, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Alex Iwobi suffered defeats with their respective clubs in the first game of the EPL season.
For Aribo and Awoniyi it was away defeats while Iwobi’s Everton suffered a slim home loss to Chelsea.
Everton lost 1-0 to Thomas Tuchel’s side via a Jorginho first half penalty, after Abdoulaye Doucoure fouled Ben Chilwell in the box.
Jorginho’s penalty was the Italian 20th goal in the Premier League with 18 of those goals scored from the penalty spot.
Aribo’s Southampton failed to consolidate an early goal scored by Captain James Ward Prowse as Tottenham Hotspur came back with four goals to kick off their season on a winning note.
Although Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son didn’t score for Antonio Conte’s side, their impacts were felt during the encounter.
Aribo started in the attacking role alongside Adam Armstrong in a 3-5-2 formation.
Saints opened the goalscoring in the 12th minute from a Ward-Prowse volley from a Moussa Djenepo cross. The lead lasted nine minutes before Ryan Sessegnon headed in a Dejan Kulusevski low cross.
Before the end of the first half, Eric Dier also doubled the lead from a Son assist in the 32nd minute.
Two more goals were scored in the 61st and 63rd minutes from Mohammed Salisu’s own goal and Kulusevski.
Similar fate for Awoniyi who began his EPL journey on the bench when Nottingham Forest suffered a two-nil defeat to Newcastle United.
Awoniyi had just 27 minutes of action as second half goals from Fabian Schar and Callum Wilson sent the newcomers home empty handed.
Elsewhere, the first game of the matchday was between Liverpool and newly promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage where both sides settled to a 2-2 draw.
Once again, Darwin Nunez proved a capable replacement for Sadio Mane with his input in Saturday’s game.
The Uruguayan scored and assisted to become the third player from the bench to do such on his Premier League debut after Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Morata.
The first half saw Fulham go in front from a 32nd minute header from Aleksandar Miltrovic.
It could only take Liverpool the help of Nunez in the 63rd minute for them to get an equaliser.
Nunez pulled the ball past Tosin Adarabioyo and Marek Rodak in a sublime style from a Mohammed Salah assist.
Having stabilised the game, Liverpool conceded a penalty to end 51 EPL matches without a penalty from Virgil Van Djik’s tackle on Miltrovic.
The Fulham striker slotted home to put the Newcomers in front in the 72nd minute.
However, the lead lasted for eight minutes as Nunez returned the favour he received from Salah.
Manchester united and Manchester City kick off their season on Sunday.
