Despite the 2022 FIFA World Cup heading towards its conclusion this week, a host of West Ham United loanees were in action last weekend.
Of note was that Manny Longelo and Birmingham City battled to a valuable point against Blackpool as their EFL Championship campaign resumed on Saturday afternoon.
The 21-year-old defender featured for 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet at Bloomfield Road, although the Blues were unable to secure a fifth away win in their last eight matches, with Tahith Chong striking the post.
A chilly one by the seaside. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/TXD0RUUtZb
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) December 10, 2022
As it stands, with seven wins from their first 22 matches, John Eustace's Birmingham sit 14th in the Championship – only five points from the Play-Off places.
Elsewhere, midfielder Dan Chesters played 90 minutes for Colchester United in EFL League Two but was unable to see his side avoid a narrow defeat to Sutton United.
A tenth loss in eleven away games for the U’s this season was decided by a Rob Milsom penalty, with Colchester playing the final 38 minutes with ten men after former Hammer Ossama Ashley was sent-off shortly after the break.
The U’s currently sit 23rd in League Two, although they are just one point behind Hartlepool and Rochdale.
Armstrong Okoflex featured in the Championship, but his Swansea City side were beaten 1-0 by promotion-chasing Norwich City.
The 20-year-old midfielder made a cameo in the final ten minutes at The Swansea.com Stadium but was unable to help his side cancel out a first-minute winner from Canaries forward Teemu Pukki.
Swansea City are winless in their last five matches but remain just three points from the top-six having won eight of their first 17 league matches of the 2022/23 season.
