2 Arsenal loanees experience contrasting fortunes at same club | OneFootball

Zech Medley started another match for Gillingham in their win over AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday, but Trae Coyle remains a substitute option.

When Zech Medley made the starting lineup for Gillingham in their match against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday, it was his 16th for the club in all competitions. He’s split his time between left-back and centre-back, but almost always made the starting side.

Conversely, Trae Coyle was back on the bench once again. He’s up to seven starts for the season, and only three in the league – despite making 16 appearances in total like Medley.

Neither player quite had their best game in the 2-1 win over Wimbledon, as it was largely a case of grinding the three points out with the away side controlling the possession. But those sorts of wins will suit Medley more, as a defender.

It’s a shame Coyle isn’t getting more game-time at the moment. He looked excellent against the Arsenal u21s earlier this month, scoring a nice goal and having a couple of other good chances that could’ve gone in on another day.

Despite that performance, he was back on the bench for the next league game, only playing a combined 28 minutes in the following two matches.

Arsenal may want to look at Coyle’s situation in January if nothing changes. But for Medley, this is the loan he needed, playing regularly at a decent level. He just needs to keep it up before making the next step next season.