By Goal.com News on Sunday, 18 April 2021
Category: Goal.com News

Chukwueze ends 17-game La Liga goal drought with brace in Villarreal win over Levante

The 21-year-old returned to the scoresheet in style as Unai Emery's side bounce back to winning ways in the Spanish top-flight

Samuel Chukwueze has ended his 17-game goal drought in La Liga with a brace in Villarreal's 5-1 hammering of Levante on Sunday.

It was the first time the Nigeria international scored a goal since December 3 against Sivasspor in the Uefa Europa League and against Real Valladolid in a league match on November 2.

Chukwueze stretched the visitors' lead at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia in the 63rd minute to make it 3-1 after Gerard Moreno's first-half strike and Postigo's own goal in the ninth minute.

Nine minutes after his first goal of the night, Levante conceded another own goal through Ruben Vezo and Chukwueze wrapped up Villarreal's emphatic away victory with his second in the 75th minute.

Sunday's goals came as a relief for the 21-year-old who struck the post twice in the Yellow Submarine's Uefa Europa League victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday where he only got an assist.

Chukwueze was later replaced in the 81st minute by Yeremi Pino, however, he has a tally of three goals and two assists after 25 La Liga games this season.

He has equalled last season’s feat of three league goals and he is two goals from matching his best goalscoring return in the Spanish top-flight when he scored five goals in 26 games in the 2018-19 campaign.

The victory shot Unai Emery's men to to fifth in La Liga standings with 49 points after 31 games, but they are 15 points behind fourth-placed Sevilla with seven games remaining.

“We’re fifth, but the fight with Real Betis and Real Sociedad will be very tight and they are going to make it very difficult for us. We’ve won two matches in a row and we want to continue this form against Deportivo Alaves," Emery told the club website.

The Super Eagles winger will be expected to help Villarreal build on their win when they visit Deportivo Alaves for their next league game on Wednesday before they battle Barcelona at the Estadio de la Ceramica on April 25.

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Original author: Taiye Taiwo
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