West Ham United may not be playing until Monday with the small matter of Liverpool away, but six of the eight players out on loan provided plenty of Saturday interest.
Three of them were on Championship duty, while another trio were involved in League One or FA Cup encounters. whufc.com rounds up how they fared with Junior Stanislas and Jordan Spence particularly doing well on their first taste of senior football.
Junior Stanislas (Southend United)
The last of Thursday's loans to be confirmed, the attacking midfielder, who turned 19 this week, had a fantastic senior debut. He scored the first two goals to set the League One club on the way to a 3-1 defeat of Luton Town in the FA Cup second round. The first was a trademark free-kick from the dead-ball specialist before a second-half header.
Jordan Spence (Leyton Orient)
The England Under-19 defender, still only 18, made his senior debut with a full 90 minutes in the FA Cup for Leyton Orient. It was a memorable afternoon with a 2-1 second-round victory at Bradford City. Spence had sealed his month-long loan with the League One outfit at the start of the week and was a polished performer in the heart of the Orient defence.
Kyel Reid (Blackpool)
The pacy left winger celebrated his 21st birthday with an assist and a goal for the reserves and then helped Blackpool to a 2-1 win at Plymouth Argyle on his debut. Reid played the whole match and set up the winning goal for Liam Dickinson. It lifted the north-west club seven points clear of the Championship relegation zone. Reid has had two previous loans at Barnsley and Crystal Palace.
James Tomkins (Derby County)
The England Under-19 international played the full 90 minutes but was unable to help Derby County avoid a 3-0 defeat away to Burnley on Saturday. It was Tomkins first senior run-out since the end of last season, having made his first reserve-team appearance of the campaign on Tuesday before heading up to the Championship club's Pride Park home on Thursday.
Nigel Quashie (Birmingham City)
The midfielder played his part in a 1-1 draw away to Wolverhampton Wanderers that will have left visitors Birmingham the happier of the two Midlands clubs. It means they remain six points ahead of their rivals at the top of the Championship. The 30-year-old, who is in the second month of his loan, was cautioned in the first half.
Jimmy Walker (Colchester United)
After his move to the Essex club early on Thursday, the popular 35-year-old goalkeeper made a winning start with a 2-1 win away to Northampton Town in one of only two League One encounters taking place on Saturday. The win moved Colchester three points clear of the relegation zone and was also notable for ensuring the first back to back victories this season.
Josh Payne (Cheltenham Town)
Having just turned 18, midfielder Payne has been out on loan at League One strugglers Cheltenham since September. He began his stay with a goalscoring debut and has already made nine appearances. Payne came on in the 53rd minute on Saturday before the FA Cup second-round trip to Morecambe Town was abandoned ten minutes later with the score at 1-1 because of thick fog. It will be replayed on 2 December.
Bondz 'Gala (MK Dons)
After two impressive appearances off the bench in consecutive 3-0 victories for the League One high-fliers, managed by Roberto Di Matteo, the imposing 19-year-old defender had the weekend off. MK Dons may be going well in the league but they were eliminated in the FA Cup first round and did not have a league encounter.