Premier division: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker poised for a fresh encounter
A Manchester reunion might be on the cards when the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man is adapting well with Chelsea after his summer move from Manchester United and displayed his skills against Wolves before the international break. His setup for Pedro Neto combined electric speed and a flawless low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right before dinking a cross to the back post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of the pace with which things transform. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the former found the net for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (kick-offs GMT)
The winger vital to stopping Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full gossip column attention amid a reported £65m buyout clause for a potential winter exit, the tabloids positioning him for graduation from the Premier League's average tier. It is understandable from a wide player with six goals and three helpers and is joyous to watch. Still, his side find themselves in an difficult position, having engaged in a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter on successive wins, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven-one on aggregate over their previous two fixtures after an impressive opening to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa but facing a backline without a shutout for months may prove the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck an outside choice for England
It proved notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the fixture pause although the Brighton attacker celebrates 35 in the coming days. “Without even knowing him, I am aware what he is able to give me,” commented the England manager. “He might act as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a very orthodox No 9 position.” Having won the last of his 42 caps back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup assuming he can maintain his goalscoring feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts a greater tally over every other English performer in England's top division this campaign on six and will be anxious to add to that count as Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
The full-back needed as creator and goalscorer
Sessegnon's story has offered a degree of warmth to Fulham's bumpy opening. The left-sided player, who rejoined his youth team in 2024 after five difficult years in north London, has become a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left due to the injury of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer this season alongside Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has scored one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver in a creative role instead of Robinson, who provided ten helpers last season. Fulham's following four matches feature three from the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine scores in the Premier League so far. A threat emerges for a side that have built a reputation for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for Alexander Isak to deliver for the Merseyside club
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they lost to a seventh defeat in ten matches. The manager's side require a consistent improvement to enter the championship chase from their current spot, along with a significant upturn in results, and opportunity arises as seven from their following ten league games facing teams presently in the bottom half in the standings. The danger is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to hand a loss at Anfield on the champions last season, however it's not just Liverpool's showing versus direct play and fast breaks that remains under the spotlight. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to show up for Liverpool. The expensive signing has not played at club level in a month following a groin problem during his second start in four days in Europe triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back from the bench in the Swedish reverse against Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's inconsequential game against Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for next year's World Cup playoffs. A yellow card during the game might have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient