After an extended international break, domestic football returned with a bang last weekend. Manchester City’s first game since being found guilty of 114 Premier League charges related to breaches of financial rules dominated headlines, but across Europe there were stories galore, with loan players from London’s Premier League clubs - including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham - heavily involved.
While City’s verdict - which they are appealing - looms large over the Premier League, the new season is just kicking into gear, with players finding their feet as summer turns to autumn and the pressure ramps up. From wonder goals to maiden clean sheets, there was plenty of action on the London loan front, and Standard Sport has assessed the best performances from the weekend.
Nwaneri denied wondergoal
Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri was denied his first goal for Borussia Dortmund after an audacious overhead kick was ruled out for an earlier offside. Nwaneri has endured an indifferent start to life in Germany but came close to making a remarkable statement of intent before Dortmund conceded twice late on to draw 2-2 with Werder Bremen.
Reacting quickest after the ball was cleared off the line, Nwaneri hooked the ball over his head in spectacular fashion for what he thought was the opening goal. As it transpired, Dortmund ended up squandering a two-goal lead to end a run of three consecutive wins.
Essugo thrives in new role
Strasbourg manager Hugo Oliveira’s faith was repaid as Dario Essugo scored on his first start for the Ligue 1 side. Though Strasbourg were eventually beaten 2-1 by Nice, Essugo proved his worth as he drilled home the opening goal from the edge of the box to give the visitors the lead in the 41st minute.
Speaking after the game, Chelsea loanee Essugo praised Oliveira for giving him the freedom to get forward and express himself. "He wants me to be myself. He wants me to play as more of a No8, and that's good for me because I can get in the box more," Essugo said. "It's a new thing for me, but I can drive the ball more and help the team in defence."
Setford earns first clean sheet
Arsenal goalkeeper Tommy Setford has made an impressive start at Stevenage, underlining his place as the club’s undisputed No1 by starting each of their last four league games. Stevenage have been on an excellent run since Setford joined, and they made it five wins in six across all competitions with a narrow 1-0 win over struggling Wigan.
It was a routine first clean sheet for Setford, who was forced into making just one save, but the England Under-21 international will hope to build on his performance with Stevenage in the hunt for promotion at this early stage.
Donley on the scoresheet
Tottenham loanee Jamie Donley is also enjoying life in League One, and he ensured Luton got back to winning ways, scoring his second goal for the club in their 4-1 rout of Wycombe. Having set up the opportunity for Kasey Palmer’s opening goal, Donley quickly doubled Luton’s lead inside 27 minutes with a sumptuous curling effort into the far corner.
The 21-year-old is thriving under former Arsenal star Jack Wilshere and has earmarked himself as a pivotal part of the Hatters’ midfield.
Yang follows up Asian Games gold with Westerlo
Yang Min-hyeok is riding high after returning from the international break as an Asian Games gold medallist, and he took that momentum into Westerlo’s 5-1 victory over Royal Antwerp. The South Korean winger, on loan from Tottenham, climbed off the bench to seal an emphatic win as he collected the ball on the counter-attack before chopping inside onto his left foot and bending a shot in off the post from the edge of the area.
Yang struggled to make much of an impression across two previous loan spells at Portsmouth and Coventry, but he will hope his first goal for Westerlo can be the catalyst for a strong campaign.
Satpayev makes return from injury
Dastan Satpayev may not have had a standout performance over the weekend, but his return from injury is good news for Burnley and Chelsea. Satpayev had impressed in his short time at Turf Moor before he was forced to head back to Chelsea at the start of September to continue his rehabilitation from a hamstring issue.
The 18-year-old impressed for Chelsea during their pre-season tour of Australia and Asia and was rewarded with a loan to Burnley, who had hoped to be in the mix for promotion this season. It has been a far from ideal start for the Clarets, but Satpayev’s return off the bench in a resounding 4-0 win over Watford has provided a welcome boost.
