Premier division: 10 things to watch for this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker ready for a fresh battle
Another northwest showdown could be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man is adapting well with Chelsea following his summer move from Old Trafford and displayed his skills in the Wolves match before the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto combined electric speed with a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto required moving onto his right before lofting a delivery to the back post. His joyous moment with Neto, replicating his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of how quickly circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the youngster found the net for United in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
2. Semenyo vital to stopping Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full rumour-mill treatment following a alleged £65m buyout clause for a prospective January departure, the media setting him up for promotion out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is to be expected from a wide player who has six goals plus three setups and remains delightful to watch. However, his team find themselves in an awkward position, experiencing a body swap: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who arrive with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 on aggregate over their previous two games following an strong opening to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the spot by Emi Martínez during the four-nil loss by Aston Villa yet taking on a backline lacking a shutout since August could be the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
The striker a surprise choice for England
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the international break despite the fact that the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Despite not having met him, I know what he could provide,” commented the England manager. “He might act as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a very traditional centre-forward role.” Earning the last of his 42 England games back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he manages to continue his scoring feats. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts more goals over every other English footballer in the top flight this season having six and is anxious to boost that count as Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The full-back required as playmaker and scorer
Sessegnon's story has brought a measure of comfort to Fulham's bumpy start. The left-sided player, who came back to his boyhood club in 2024 after five challenging years in north London, is now a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left flank due to the injury of the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? On two goals, he is their joint-top scorer in the Premier League alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their primary attacker the previous campaign, has scored once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period because of a hamstring operation. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who registered ten helpers last season. Fulham's following four fixtures feature three of the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine scores in the Premier League to date. A threat emerges for the club that have earned a standing for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for Isak to perform for Liverpool
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's deficiencies in that game as they succumbed to loss number seven in ten matches. Arne Slot's team need a prolonged upturn to enter the title race from their current spot, plus a major boost in performance, and a chance emerges as seven of their following ten league games facing clubs at the moment in the bottom ten in the league. The threat is evident from Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a loss at Anfield on the champions in the last term, however it's not just Liverpool's showing versus long balls and counterattacks that is in focus. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not featured in domestic action in a month following a groin problem while his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in continental competition victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. He reappeared from the bench in Sweden's defeat by Switzerland but sat out the midweek meaningless match against Slovenia to ensure his readiness for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A booking during the game would have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
