Premier division: ten key points to watch for this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker poised for a fresh clash
A Manchester reunion could be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is finding his feet with Chelsea following his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and displayed his talents in the Wolves match before the international break. His setup for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace and a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield prior to lofting a ball to the back post. His celebration with Neto, echoing his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the speed at which circumstances change. The last time Garnacho took on Walker? When the Argentine scored for United in their cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon half past twelve (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo key to stopping Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the complete rumour-mill attention amid a claimed £65m escape clause for a prospective winter exit, the gossip columns preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. That is understandable from a wide player who has a half-dozen strikes and three helpers and remains delightful to watch. Nonetheless, his team are in an awkward spot, having engaged in a body swap: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who come in with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost seven to one combined over their previous two fixtures after an strong beginning to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss by Aston Villa yet taking on a defensive unit lacking a shutout in the league since the start of the season could be the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck a left-field option for England
It proved interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the national team window despite the fact that the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Even without knowing him, I know what he could offer me,” said the England manager. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a quite orthodox centre-forward role.” Having won the last of his 42 England games in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck may be in the squad to the World Cup provided he can maintain his goal-getting performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward has additional strikes over every other English footballer in the top flight this campaign with six and will be keen to increase that total as Brighton welcome Brentford this weekend.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon required as assist provider and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has offered a measure of warmth to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his youth team in 2024 after five difficult years with Spurs, is now a regular starter, pushing forward on the left flank with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he is their leading marksman this season as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has scored once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured until 2026 owing to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who registered ten setups last time round. The Cottagers' next four fixtures include three of the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed only nine strikes this season to date. Trouble awaits for a side that have earned a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
5. Time for Isak to perform for Liverpool
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort against Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's inferiority on the day as they fell to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The manager's team need a sustained recovery to force their way into the league contest from this position, along with a major improvement in form, and a chance presents itself as seven of their next 10 Premier League matches against clubs currently in the bottom half in the standings. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a loss at Anfield to Liverpool last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance when facing long balls and fast breaks that remains in focus. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The big-money forward has not featured at club level in a month having sustained a groin problem during his second consecutive start in quick succession in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back from the bench in the Swedish defeat by Switzerland but was rested Tuesday's inconsequential game against Slovenia to secure his readiness for the World Cup playoffs. A booking in that match might have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
