Game Week 8 Preview: The fear of Brighton and other stories

Fabian Hurzelar's Brighton remains the team most clubs are afraid to face. How will Liverpool fare against the Seagulls on Sunday? (Phot...

Fabian Hurzelar's Brighton remains the team most clubs are afraid to face. How will Liverpool fare against the Seagulls on Sunday? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

It's the weekend again, and we're back with questions. A lot is happening in the Premier League, with Bruno Fernandes and Michael Carrick having issues to address, and we examine some exciting fixtures that suggest significant traffic.

Where do we start our questions? Old Trafford, where the effect of the 4-0 loss away at Como still hangs in the air. The Red Devils don't play until Sunday, but it's a big game against Bournemouth, a team they have struggled against in recent fixtures.

Three questions: Lisandro Martinez was questioned for calling out the club hierarchy; will Bruno face the same treatment? How will United fare against the Cherries on Sunday? How much longer does Michael Carrick have on the job?

On Saturday, Manchester City's winning run will be tested at Villa Park. Aston Villa hasn't been that team you want to trust, but they have done incredibly well in Europe and continue to climb the ladder in the Premier League.

Manchester City awaits the verdict on their appeal against the independent ruling that found them guilty of 114 charges, but the Cityzens continue to shine in the league. Seven straight wins, and they hope to make that eight on Saturday. Will they make history at Villa Park?

Brighton fielded a second string on Thursday against Jablonec in the Europa Conference League. It backfired, as they couldn't find the net, but they will hope to continue their winning streak in the league, where they have won four straight games.

Liverpool at home against the Seagulls a few years ago would have been touted to tilt only one way, but this is 2026, and Brighton is a totally different team. If Fabian Hurzelar's side beats Liverpool on Sunday, should we be worried?

Arsenal and Bayern Munich played out a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, a result that shows how far Arsenal has come in recent seasons. If you consider how the German side used to molest the Gunners, you'll celebrate Arsenal's progress.

Everton will visit the Emirates on Saturday; there won't be excuses for the Gunners. Must be tough on the Toffees to play Chelsea last weekend, and then the champions this weekend. Max Dowman became a man in this fixture last season, with Bukayo Saka injured. Is this his chance?

Finally, Chelsea will be home to Spurs on Saturday. The visitors finally got points on the board on Monday against Coventry City, but their healing process will be badly tested on Saturday at Stamford Bridge. Will Spurs survive Chelsea's ferocious attack?