Caleb Okoli played the role of savior for Leicester City, netting his first goal for the club to secure a valuable point away to Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Foxes finally ended their 76-day Premier League goal drought when Stephy Mavididi struck to cancel out Joao Pedro’s early penalty. Pedro converted another spot-kick following a VAR review on Luke Thomas’ foul on Matt O’Riley, but Okoli later rose highest to head in Bilal El Khannouss’ pinpoint free-kick — a goal that closed the gap between Leicester and 17th-placed Wolves to 14 points.
Okoli celebrates milestone moment, receives praise from peers
Scoring your first goal in the Premier League is always a milestone, and for Okoli, it was a moment to savour. The £15 million centre-back, who was linked with a move back to Italy during the transfer window, stayed put and made the most of his opportunity under new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Taking to Instagram, Okoli shared:
“First goal in the Premier League, grateful for the moment but hungry for more. Great effort from the team today.”
Support poured in from fellow players, including former Atalanta teammate and current Manchester United winger Amad Diallo, who commented, “Yessirrrrrrr.”
Kasey McAteer added, “Love it mate,” while Jakub Stolarczyk and Brad Young both chimed in with: “Love that bro!” and “Love it bro.”
Okoli shines in defensive performance against Brighton
Given a starting spot due to Wout Faes’ injury, the 23-year-old seized his chance. Despite a difficult season for the Foxes, Okoli stood out with a strong performance in defense.
He earned a 7.5 rating from Sofascore, tied for second-best in the team alongside El Khannouss and only behind Mavididi. Okoli also dominated in the air, winning 100% of his aerial duels — further solidifying his case to remain in the starting lineup going forward.
