Arsenal loan watch: 3 players make debuts in weekend fixtures

The big news from the Arsenal men’s loanees over the weekend was Ethan Nwaneri’s debut for Borussia Dortmund against Hoffenheim.

Nwaneri came off the bench in the 32nd minute, after an injury to Filippo Mane, and things initially didn’t go well. Hosts Hoffenheim raced into a 2-0 lead by the 54th minute, and they look to be cruising to three points.

But Dortmund fought back to 2-2, and Nwaneri was heavily involved in the winning goal as his cross was diverted into the net by an unlucky Hoffenheim defender. In the end, it was a winning debut for Nwaneri.

Tommy Setford also made a successful debut appearance for Stevenage, who also came from behind to win.

Setford conceded the first goal of the game after Barnsley were awarded a penalty for handball, but he kept them out for the remainder of the contest. Stevenage ultimately won 5-1, with Setford making a couple of saves.

The only other loanee to feature over the weekend was Ismeal Kabia, who made his fourth appearance for St. Mirren in a 2-1 defeat to Celtic.

The 20-year-old put in a good performance despite the result, and after he spent most of last season on the right, it’s worth noting he’s made his three league appearances for St. Mirren playing on the left-wing.

At the time of writing, Charles Sagoe Jr. has yet to complete his match for Kalmar against Djurgarden on Monday night, but he remains a regular starter on his loan spell in Sweden.

From the women’s team, Sophie Harwood made her debut for Sheffield United, making the starting lineup for a WSL2 game against Leicester City and playing the full 90 minutes of a 1-0 defeat.

Finally, Jessie Gale wasn’t involved in Newcastle United’s 2-0 win over Wolves on Sunday due to her call-up by England for the FIFA under-20 Women’s World Cup, and Cecily Wellesley-Smith wasn’t involved for for Rosengard against Djurgarden for the same reason.