Premier division: ten key points to watch for this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker ready for a fresh encounter
A Mancunian rematch may be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger has started to settle in west London after his close-season transfer from Manchester United and demonstrated his abilities against Wolves before the national team interval. His key pass for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed with a flawless grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right before lofting a cross across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, echoing his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of how quickly circumstances change. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the Argentine scored for United in the cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo key to ending Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the complete rumour-mill treatment due to a reported £65m buyout clause for his prospective winter exit, the media preparing him for advancement out of the Premier League's average tier. It is understandable for a winger who has a half-dozen strikes and three helpers and remains delightful to watch. Nonetheless, his side find themselves in an difficult spot, experiencing a role reversal: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with successive wins, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven to one over two games in their previous two matches following an promising opening to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez during the four-nil loss by Aston Villa however confronting a defence lacking a shutout for months may prove the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The striker an outside shout for England
It was intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the international break despite the fact that the Brighton striker celebrates 35 in the coming days. “Without even having met him, I understand what he is able to offer me,” said the England boss. “He can be a back-up for Harry [Kane] playing a quite orthodox striker role.” Earning the most recent of his 42 England games back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be in the squad for the World Cup if he manages to maintain his goal-getting exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts additional strikes over every other English performer in the top flight this term on six and is keen to increase that total as Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The full-back required as creator and goalscorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a degree of warmth to Fulham's inconsistent start. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his youth team in 2024 after five tough years in north London, has emerged as a first-team fixture, operating on the left in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he's also their top goalscorer this season as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their top scorer in the last term, has bagged a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out for the long term owing to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also having to step up as a creator instead of Robinson, who provided ten setups in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' upcoming four fixtures include three from the best five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed merely nine goals in the Premier League this season. A threat emerges for a team that have developed a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The occasion for Isak to produce for Liverpool
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort against Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they lost to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The coach's team require a prolonged upturn to force their way into the league contest from their current spot, plus a dramatic improvement in form, and a chance presents itself with seven of their following ten league games facing clubs currently in the lower half in the standings. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a loss at Anfield to the title holders the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's performance against direct play and fast breaks that is under the spotlight. It is time that Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not played at club level over four weeks having sustained a muscle issue when making his second start over a short period in continental competition win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned as a substitute in the Swedish defeat against Switzerland but sat out the midweek meaningless match with Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card during the game would have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
