The Loan Report has a warm and familiar feel to it this week, as not only did the scoring streak continue to cover every full seven-day spell of the season so far, but the Loan Army’s leading goalscorer found the back of the net for the first time since Halloween.
Headliners
Tammy Abraham knew he would encounter more than a few struggles in his first season of professional football, and a red-hot start to his stay at Bristol City only served to put more pressure on him when it eventually arrived. Goalless throughout November, he continued to contribute but grew frustrated at going four games without scoring whilst only notching once in a nine-game spell.
That game to an end on Saturday as he pounced for an opportunistic effort away to Huddersfield Town. The goal levelled the scores at the time but, against friend and fellow loanee Kasey Palmer (who played 69 minutes), he ultimately came up short, with Town emerging 2-1 winners.
There was also a goal in Championship action for Izzy Brown, who has been a constantly reliable presence for a Rotherham side in a state of flux as they search for what would be a fourth manager of the season before Santa has even arrived. Assists in each of his previous two outings were followed by his third goal of the season this Saturday, enough to secure a much-needed win over QPR.
The weekend’s goalscoring concluded on Sunday with Andreas Christensen’s first of the season. It was the only goal in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s win over Mainz that also owed much to the Danish international’s defensive contributions in what was arguably his best outing of 2016-17. It was a good way to finish a week in which he started in a 4-0 defeat away to Barcelona.
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! @ABChristensen96 Pokes home in the 75' for a 1-0 lead!!!! pic.twitter.com/zDfNBaTCNH
— USA Borussen (@GladbachUSA) December 11, 2016
England
With Kenedy back at Chelsea, Loic Remy perpetually injured, and Patrick Bamford a perpetual unused substitute for Burnley at best, Nathan Aké remains the sole focus of our attentions in the Premier League. Three impactful performances in a row saw him retain his place at the heart of Bournemouth’s defence for the trip to Burnley, but he wasn’t at his best in a tough 3-2 defeat.
Christian Atsu played 20 minutes for Newcastle in a 4-0 Championship hammering of Birmingham whilst there was an assist for Tomas Kalas in a remarkable 4-4 draw away to Wolves; one which Lucas Piazon spent watching from the bench as an unused substitute.
Charlie Colkett played 70-odd minutes from the start and helped Bristol Rovers put an end to a recent spell of poor form with a 4-2 win at home to a Bury side who are struggling even more at the foot of League One.
Jordan Houghton was this week nominated for the League Two Player of the Month award having helped Doncaster to the summit, but a 2-0 defeat to Plymouth this weekend saw their victorious opponents replace them at the top of the league. Jamal Blackman, however, goes from strength to strength as he kept goal for Wycombe in a 3-1 win over Millwall in the Checkatrade Trophy before shutting out Newport County in a 2-0 weekend triumph. It’s four clean sheets in five for the big stopper now, and 10 in 23 for the season.
Alex Kiwomya was frustrated in his 75-minute appearance for Crewe as they lost 2-0 at home to a Crawley team without either Alex Davey or Mitchell Beeney. Beeney did at least make a rare appearance in midweek as Dermot Drummy’s side were narrowly edged out 1-0 away to Coventry City.
Dion Conroy helped Aldershot to a 1-1 draw with East Thurrick United, whilst Nathan Baxter will hope to help Met Police beat Kingstonian in the ‘postcode derby’ this coming Tuesday.
Spain
Charly Musonda has effectively returned to Chelsea with immediate effect; still at Cobham for treatment on an injury, he won’t return to Betis before La Liga’s winter break and the Blues will then terminate his loan spell when the transfer window opens.
Jeremie Boga started for Granada and once again played very well in a 1-1 draw away to Málaga, regularly proving a threat in the final third but often finding his team-mates weren’t quite on his wavelength. Victorien Angban was absent once again though.
Italy
Juan Cuadrado played all but nine minutes of a Juventus double-header this week, completing a 2-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League before then playing 81 minutes in a feisty 3-1 win over rivals Torino.
Mario Pašalić and AC Milan are away to Roma on Monday night; you can keep up with everything and anything he does in that one on Twitter @chelseayouth.
Germany
Baba Rahman got his usual Europa League action for Schalke but then got a surprise Bundesliga start on Sunday at home to Leverkusen. He played the full match but couldn’t help them avoid a 1-0 defeat.
Michael Hector was a very late substitute to help ten-man Eintracht Frankfurt secure a goalless draw and a point at home to Hoffenheim.
Netherlands
Vitesse Arnhem put together back-to-back wins for the first time all season as they beat Sparta Rotterdam 1-0 away from home in a rather forgettable match. Lewis Baker played the full match, Nathan played just short of half an hour, and Matt Miazga was an unused substitute.
Bertrand Traore remains out through injury for Ajax, and there was no Danilo Pantic for Excelsior at Heerenveen.
Belgium
Cristian Cuevas is putting together a strong run of form for Sint Truiden right now and completed another full contest to help them to a 1-0 win away to Kortrijk on Saturday. Unfortunately for Matej Delač and Mouscron though, they lost 4-1 at home to Mechelen, with Islam Feruz absent from the matchday squad again.
Turkey
There was a clean sheet for Kenneth Omeruo and Alanyaspor on Sunday as they beat Karabukspor 2-0 on the road to move into mid-table respectability.
Brazil
Wallace was an unused sub for Gremio’s Copa do Brasil draw at home to Atlético Mineiro.