Premier division: 10 things to watch for this matchday
Walker faces Garnacho ready for another encounter
Another northwest showdown might be on the cards when Burnley's Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker is finding his feet in west London after his summer move from the Red Devils and demonstrated his skills versus Wolverhampton before the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed with a flawless along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto required shifting infield prior to dinking a cross toward the far post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his previous embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a reminder of the pace with which circumstances change. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? During the Argentine scored for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)
The winger crucial to stopping Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the full rumour-mill attention following a reported £65m buyout clause for a potential January departure, the gossip columns setting him up for graduation from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is to be expected from a winger with six finishes and three assists and is pleasurable to watch. However, his team are in an difficult spot, having engaged in a body swap: it is the struggling side West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost 7-1 on aggregate over their previous two matches following an strong start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in their heavy loss by Aston Villa yet facing a defensive unit lacking a goalless game in the league since the start of the season may prove the best tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
3. Welbeck a left-field option for England
It proved interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the fixture pause despite the fact that the Brighton forward turns 35 soon. “Without even knowing him, I know what he can offer me,” said the England boss. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional striker role.” Having won the final 42 international appearances back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be on the plane for the World Cup assuming he is able to continue his goal-getting exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker can claim more goals over every other English footballer in England's top division this term with six and remains eager to add to that total as Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday 3pm
4. Sessegnon crucial as assist provider and finisher
Sessegnon's story has brought a degree of warmth to Fulham's uneven beginning. The 25-year-old, who returned to his youth team in 2024 following five difficult years with Spurs, has become a consistent pick, driving down the left side in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? With two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer in the last term, has bagged a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period owing to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon is also having to step up in a creative role in place of Robinson, who provided ten helpers last time round. The Cottagers' upcoming four matches include three of the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine strikes in the Premier League to date. A threat emerges for the club that have built a reputation for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for The striker to perform for the Merseyside club
The debate surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they lost to loss number seven over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's team must have a prolonged upturn to enter the title race from their current spot, as well as a major upturn in results, and opportunity arises as seven from their next 10 league games against sides at the moment in the bottom half in the league. The risk is clear from Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a home league defeat to Liverpool in the last term, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's display when facing long balls and fast breaks that remains under scrutiny. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The expensive signing has not played at club level in a month having sustained a muscle issue while his second consecutive start over a short period in the Champions League victory abroad. He reappeared off the bench in Sweden's defeat against Switzerland but missed Tuesday's meaningless match with Slovenia to secure his availability for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card on Tuesday might have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient