Arsenal’s loanees made an immediate impact at their respective clubs over the weekend, with Ethan Nwaneri and Tommy Setford both catching the eye.
Nwaneri was thrown straight into action for Borussia Dortmund, coming off the bench in the first half to replace the injured Filippo Mane against Hoffenheim.
The 19-year-old rose to the occasion, helping Niko Kovac’s side mount a stunning comeback at the SNP Arena to defeat Hoffenheim.
Dortmund found themselves in a difficult position when Leon Avdullahu broke the deadlock for Hoffenheim shortly after Nwaneri entered the fray.
Tim Lemperle then doubled Die Kraichgauer’s lead just before the hour mark, leaving Dortmund with a significant mountain to climb.
Serhou Guirassy narrowed the deficit moments later, sparking the beginning of a remarkable second-half turnaround from the German giants.
Fabio Silva, who replaced Konstantinos Karetsas a couple of minutes later, levelled proceedings midway through the second half to complete the comeback.
Arsenal had initially hoped to loan Nwaneri to another Premier League club, but Dortmund were able to offer him the significant attraction of European football.
The youngster completed a season-long switch to the Bundesliga on deadline day, with the loan fee understood to be around £4 million.
Dortmund moved for Nwaneri after summer signing Giannis Konstantelias suffered a serious knee injury in their opening game against Hamburg.
Nwaneri could even face his parent club when he returns to north London in November, with the two sides meeting in the Champions League on the 24th.
That restriction does not apply to loans outside England, meaning Nwaneri is fully eligible to feature for Dortmund in UEFA competitions this season.
His stint in Germany marks his second loan spell in as many seasons, having previously spent six months at Marseille during the 2025/26 campaign.
Meanwhile, Setford made a winning start to life at Stevenage, helping Alex Revell’s side defeat Barnsley 5-1 on the road in League One on Saturday afternoon.
The 20-year-old goalkeeper’s debut proved a memorable one, as Stevenage claimed their first League One win of the campaign in emphatic fashion.
Elsewhere among Arsenal’s loanees, 22-year-old winger Sagoe Jr has been operating in Sweden with Kalmar, having already made 19 appearances in the Allsvenskan this season.
Despite chipping in with several goals and assists, Sagoe Jr has not yet been able to steer Kalmar away from a potential relegation battle.
The Swedish top-flight gets underway in April, meaning Sagoe Jr has been in action throughout the summer without a break for the World Cup.
