Premier division: ten highlights to keep an eye on this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker poised for a fresh encounter
A Mancunian rematch may be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man has started to settle with Chelsea following his off-season signing from Old Trafford and demonstrated his skills against Wolves before the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto combined electric speed with a flawless grounded ball. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside prior to dinking a delivery across the goalmouth. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of the pace with which things transform. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? When the youngster netted for United in their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon half past twelve (all times GMT)
The winger key to halting Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the full transfer speculation treatment following a claimed £65m escape clause for a possible winter exit, the tabloids setting him up for advancement from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. That is to be expected from a wide player with six finishes and three assists and is joyous to watch. Still, Bournemouth occupy an difficult situation, having engaged in a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter with successive wins, whereas Bournemouth are down seven to one on aggregate in their previous two games after an promising start to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss to Aston Villa yet taking on a defence without a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season might be the ideal tonic.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck a surprise choice for the Three Lions
It was notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton attacker turns 35 in the coming days. “Without even being familiar with him, I am aware what he is able to provide,” said the England boss. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional No 9 position.” Earning the final 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be selected for the World Cup provided he manages to sustain his goal-getting performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker has more goals over every other English footballer in the Premier League this season on six and remains anxious to add to that count when Brighton entertain Brentford this weekend.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon required as assist provider and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered a measure of positivity to Fulham's bumpy opening. The 25-year-old, who came back to his boyhood club in 2024 following five challenging years with Spurs, has become a regular starter, operating on the left flank in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? Having scored twice, he remains their leading marksman in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer last season, has scored a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out until 2026 because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon must also being required to contribute as a creator replacing Robinson, who supplied ten helpers in the previous campaign. Fulham's next four matches feature three from the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have allowed only nine scores in the league so far. Danger looms for the club that have earned a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The occasion for The striker to produce for the Merseyside club
The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they succumbed to loss number seven in ten matches. The manager's side require a prolonged upturn to enter the title race from this position, plus a major boost in performance, and a chance arises as seven of their next 10 Premier League matches facing teams at the moment in the bottom ten of the table. The danger is clear from Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a home league defeat to the title holders last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance against long balls and quick transitions that will be in focus. It is time that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The big-money forward has not featured at club level in a month having sustained a groin injury while his second consecutive start in quick succession in Europe victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back as a substitute in the Swedish loss against Switzerland but was rested the subsequent meaningless match against Slovenia to secure his availability for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. A booking on Tuesday could have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
