Premier League: ten highlights to watch for this round of fixtures
1. Garnacho and Walker poised for another encounter
A Manchester reunion may be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is adapting well with Chelsea after his summer move from the Red Devils and showcased his abilities against Wolves before the international break. His setup for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace and a flawless along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside before dinking a delivery toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his prior hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of how quickly circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the former netted for United in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo crucial to ending Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the full gossip column treatment amid a claimed £65m escape clause for his possible January departure, the gossip columns preparing him for graduation out of the Premier League's middle class. That is understandable for a winger with a half-dozen strikes plus three helpers and is delightful to watch. Still, his side are in an difficult position, experiencing a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who arrive with successive wins, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one on aggregate in their previous two fixtures after an promising start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the spot by Emi Martínez in the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa but confronting a defensive unit without a clean sheet for months might be the best remedy.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck a left-field choice for the national team
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the national team window despite the fact that the Brighton attacker celebrates 35 soon. “Without even having met him, I understand what he could give me,” commented the England coach. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a very orthodox centre-forward position.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 international appearances back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be on the plane for the World Cup assuming he manages to sustain his scoring exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts a greater tally compared to any English player in the top flight this season on six and will be anxious to increase that tally when Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon required as creator and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has offered a degree of positivity to Fulham's bumpy opening. The 25-year-old, who came back to his boyhood club in 2024 after five challenging years in north London, has emerged as a consistent pick, driving down the left in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? Having scored twice, he is their top goalscorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker last season, has netted one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out until 2026 because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also having to step up in a creative role replacing Robinson, who provided ten setups last season. The Cottagers' following four fixtures take in three among the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed merely nine strikes in the league so far. Danger looms for the club that have developed a standing for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
The moment for Isak to perform for the Merseyside club
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal against Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they succumbed to loss number seven over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's team need a consistent improvement to muscle into the championship chase from this position, plus a dramatic improvement in form, and opportunity arises as seven out of their next 10 top-flight fixtures against sides currently in the bottom half of the table. The danger is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to deliver a loss at Anfield to Liverpool the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing versus aerial passes and fast breaks that will be in focus. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The £125m striker has not featured in domestic action for a month after picking up a groin problem while his second appearance in the lineup in quick succession in the Champions League victory in Germany. He reappeared from the bench in Sweden's loss against Switzerland but missed the subsequent dead rubber versus Slovenia to ensure his fitness for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A booking on Tuesday could have made him ineligible. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
