Premier League weekend preview: Fernandes’ expected return, Tel’s arrival and other key storylines

Chelsea host Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday, with Bruno Fernandes expected to return to the starting XI after being an unused substitute against Bournemouth following his public criticism of Michael Carrick’s tactics in the Champions League defeat by Como. Spurs’ Mathys Tel, fresh from a long-range goal against Chelsea, and Liverpool’s recent run under Andoni Iraola also feature among the weekend’s talking points.

Fernandes and Carrick held “clear-the-air talks” this week and, according to reports, the situation has been resolved — for now. Dropping Fernandes coincided with United’s heavy home defeat as Bournemouth “ran riot at Old Trafford,” and the Manchester United captain is widely expected back in the side for the trip to Chelsea; if selected, the article says, “he owes Carrick a performance.”

Manchester City remain under scrutiny after being found guilty of serially breaching Premier League financial rules; Enzo Maresca’s team have since won four games (including Wednesday’s Carabao Cup shootout victory over Brighton) and lost two. Saturday’s 2-1 reverse at Aston Villa was their first Premier League defeat of the season, and the piece warns that further setbacks ahead of their rematch with Brighton could allow concerns about the guilty verdict and possible sanction — “demotion to the Championship, for example” — to become a distraction. The article cites a precedent after Rodri’s knee injury against Arsenal in September 2024, when Pep Guardiola’s side went undefeated in seven matches, winning six, before managing one victory and suffering 10 defeats in the next 13.

Coventry’s attacking output is outlined as a concern: their four goals against Newcastle on 12 October account for two‑thirds of their league total this season. Gustavo Hamer, who created 12 goals for Sheffield United in the Championship last season, has asked to play for the under-21s to increase his minutes; Lampard said, “Myself and the staff have been really, really impressed by his approach, his training, his ethic,” and Hamer made an 86th-minute substitute appearance in the recent defeat by Fulham.

Bournemouth’s week is chronicled from their wins over Milan and Manchester United to domestic cup progress, with Marco Rose’s first Premier League victory — against Sunderland on 18 October — noted as a turning point. Eli Junior Kroupi has returned to the squad after being a late substitute, while Evanilson has scored four goals in five matches and produced a tight-angled finish to make it 3-0 at Old Trafford; the piece adds that when Sturm Graz were defeated in the Europa League, Evanilson “served as support striker for the raw Álvaro Rodríguez.”

Brentford’s early-season momentum has stalled with no wins in their last three and a draw at Hull, though the article notes only Liverpool have beaten them in the Premier League so far. Nottingham Forest drew 1-1 at Ipswich, with an unmarked Murillo missing a free header and Daniel Muñoz’s overlapping run supplying Neco Williams’ goal; the report says Morgan Gibbs-White was crowded out by Ipswich’s midfield and that Oliver Glasner’s formation, built on a defensive trio, seeks to maximise playmakers but that “Gibbs-White and Forest are yet to prosper.”

Two promoted sides meet at the MKM Stadium and the preview emphasises their competing ambitions: Hull’s Sergej Jakirovic said, “There will be ups and downs, this is normal,” while Ipswich’s Gary O’Neil described his squad as “an incredible group,” adding, “We’re not carrying anybody in that, there’s no one getting dragged along by this group.” Both clubs sit in mid-table and the article flags that Manchester City’s potential punishment could alter relegation dynamics, “leaving just two relegation spots to avoid.”

Mathys Tel’s goal against Chelsea is presented as a sign of arrival after an uneven start to life in the Premier League; the 21-year-old has scored seven times in 50 league appearances since joining Spurs, initially on loan, and his strike involved picking the ball up in his own half and driving 40 yards before finding the bottom corner. After the 2-0 win at Chelsea Tel said, “I think I can still do better,” followed by, “I can always do better. I need to work, work, work, work.” The weekend also highlights Fulham’s mixed form under Álvaro Arbeloa, with Gonzalo García on a seven-game scoring drought and Nicolas Jackson one of the league’s in-form forwards with four goals in five Premier League games; Jackson said, “Unai taught me everything about football,” and Emery observed, “He was shooting a lot of balls over the crossbar,” adding, “Now he’s getting better.”

Liverpool’s brief run of three consecutive home wins in different competitions and seven wins from their last eight fixtures under Iraola is noted ahead of Arsenal’s visit; Iraola said after the Carabao Cup penalty shootout win over Chelsea, “Let’s try to finish this four-in-a-row in the best way.” The weekend ends with Newcastle hosting Everton on Monday at 8pm, a fixture framed by Jordan Pickford’s remarkable 94th-minute save in March — described by David Moyes as “out of this world,” by Alan Shearer as “a world-class intervention,” and by Pickford himself as “up there with my very best” — and by team adjustments after Sandro Tonali’s departure, with the report noting Pickford’s international place is “under a little pressure from the Leeds goalkeeper, James Trafford.”