Former Gunner Zech Medley is having a rollercoaster November so far, scoring in two of his appearances and getting sent off in the third.
Arsenal fans might remember a young Zech Medley making his senior debut for the club back in 2018/19, with the centre-back appearing twice in the Europa League and once in the FA Cup after being called up from the Gunners academy.
The defender ultimately spent five years at Arsenal from the u18s to the first team, before leaving for KV Oostende in 2021.
But the Belgian club was dissolved due to financial problems in 2024, so he’s now back in England with League Two club Fleetwood Town.
Medley plays either at centre-back or as a left-wing-back for Fleetwood, positions that might not put you in the headlines quite as regularly as some others. But it’s been a different story so far this month.
Fleetwood kicked off November with an FA Cup tie against Barnet, and Medley powered home an excellent volley to give his team the lead in what turned out to be a 2-1 win.
The 25-year-old couldn’t ride the high of that cup success for long, as two fouls in the first 10 minutes of Fleetwood’s subsequent League Two game against Crawley Town saw him receive two yellow cards and an early bath.
Medley will count himself unlucky, as those are the only two yellow cards he’s received all season. But Fleetwood’s 10 men went on to lose the match 2-1.
Medley’s suspension doesn’t apply to the EFL Trophy, so he was back in the team against Port Vale on Tuesday, looking to make amends for his error at the weekend.
With Fleetwood 2-1 down after 69 minutes, Medley found an equaliser with a shot at the near post after getting free on the left-hand side of the box.
Medley then gave his team the lead with a similar finish from a similar position 13 minutes later. Though Port Vale equalised late on, Fleetwood won 4-2 in the subsequent penalty shootout.
It’s been a busy time for Medley on an individual basis. Given Fleetwood’s progression in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy, on top of their league fixtures, the games promise to keep coming thick and fast.