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Walker faces Garnacho set for a new battle

A Manchester reunion may be in store when Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger is adapting well at Stamford Bridge after his close-season transfer from Manchester United and displayed his abilities versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto blended rapid acceleration and a ideal grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto required shifting infield prior to chipping a ball to the back post. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his previous embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the pace with which circumstances change. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? When the former found the net for United in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (start times GMT)

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Antoine Semenyo key to stopping Cherries' decline

Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire gossip column treatment amid a alleged £65m buyout clause for his prospective winter exit, the tabloids preparing him for advancement from the Premier League's average tier. It is to be expected from a wide player with a half-dozen strikes and three setups and remains pleasurable to watch. Still, his side are in an difficult position, experiencing a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who come in with successive wins, whereas Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 combined over their previous two games following an promising beginning to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their heavy loss by Aston Villa however facing a defence lacking a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season could be the best tonic.

Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm

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Danny Welbeck a left-field shout for England

It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck multiple times during the international break even though the Brighton striker celebrates 35 in the coming days. “Without even having met him, I understand what he is able to provide,” said the England boss. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a very traditional No 9 position.” Gaining the final 42 caps several years ago, it's quite plausible that Welbeck could be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he can continue his goalscoring performances. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim additional strikes over every other English performer in the top flight this term with six and is anxious to add to that tally when Brighton host Brentford this weekend.

Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock

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The full-back required as assist provider and scorer

The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a measure of comfort to Fulham's bumpy opening. The 25-year-old, who came back to his youth team in 2024 after five tough years at Tottenham, has emerged as a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he is their joint-top scorer in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker in the last term, has scored a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period due to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon must also being required to contribute in a creative role instead of Robinson, who supplied ten setups last time round. The Cottagers' next four fixtures feature three of the best five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine strikes in the league to date. Danger looms for a team that have earned a standing for solidity in the central positions.

Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

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5. Time for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool

The debate about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's inferiority during the match as they fell to their seventh loss in 10 games. The coach's squad must have a prolonged upturn to muscle into the league contest from this position, plus a dramatic boost in performance, and a chance arises with seven from their next 10 league games against sides currently in the bottom half of the table. The risk is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a home league defeat on the champions last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance versus long balls and counterattacks that is under the spotlight. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has been absent for his club over four weeks following a groin problem during his second start over a short period in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back off the bench during Sweden's defeat against Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's dead rubber with Slovenia to ensure his availability for the World Cup knockout rounds. A booking in that match would have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient