Five players are currently away from Arsenal on loan. Swiss
international defender
Johan Djourou will be getting valuable Premiership experience
after joining newly-promoted Birmingham City until January.
Elsewhere, defender
Matthew Connolly will spend the entire campaign at Championship
club Colchester United while
Kerrea Gilbert and
Jay Simpson will be in League One with Southend United
and Millwall respectively. Promising Mexican striker
Carlos Vela will play his football in Spain with La Liga side
Osasuna.
Keep up-to-date with the fortunes of all our loan stars in our
regular Loan Watch.
Jay Simpson
Millwall 3-0 Brighton ad Hove Albion, December 26
Gary Alexander notched a Boxing Day hat-trick for Millwall as they
clambered away from the relegation mire, with Jay Simpson a menace
throughout the entire contest. The 3-0 win over Brighton is the
Lions' biggest home win of the season and avenges the same
scoreline dished out by the Seagulls at the Withdean in
September.
Matthew Connolly
Colchester United 1-1 Southampton, December 26
Matthew Connolly sat out Colchester's 1-1 draw with Southampton
on Boxing Day. Clive Platt cancelled out John Viafara's
first-half strike to ensure a share of the spoils for the
struggling U's - they remain bottom of the Championship.
Johan Djourou
Birmingham City 3-0 Middlesbrough, December 26
Alex McLeish's Christmas wish of a home win came true on Boxing
Day. However Johan Djourou was an unused substitute in the 3-0
victory over Middlesbrough that saw Stewart Downing put through his
own net, Mikael Forssell prod home on the stroke of half-time and
Gary McSheffrey convert an injury-time penalty.
Kerrea Gilbert
Gillingham 1-1 Southend United, December 26
Kerrea Gilbert did not play as the Essex derby between Gillingham
and Southend ended 1-1. Peter Clarke had put the travelling
Shimpers ahead but Adam Miller snatched a point with an 89th-minute
strike.
