Sunderland hammer ex-Saint Walker-Peters' West Ham in the season opener, and fans won't be wrong to foresee early relegation fears dwelling for him already.
Undeniably, Saints fans are all focused on the Ipswich clash, but there's no doubt they would have followed the recent Premier League action side by side. Agreed, they have little to vouch for, but even if for club icon Alan Shearer's predictions, their tuning in would have proved worth to them.
Interesting, isn't it, how the iconic striker's forecast has been the replica story of many ex-Saints in matchday 1. Be it Ramsdale's no-betterment claim, being kept out of action in Newcastle's draw or Ugochukwu's struggling claim, Shearer has been spot on.
However, upon checking with other players, Saints fans are hardly mistaken in thinking that Shearer went too lenient in one case.
We talk about the most anticipated ex-Saints' transfer this summer, Kyle Walker-Peters.
Though it's been a month since the veteran full-back joined West Ham, no Saints fan would have forgotten the ruckus his departure made. Having declined former gaffer Jose Mourinho for a reunion, Walker-Peters made headlines when he chose Graham Potter's struggling West Ham project.
Safe to say, the initial optimism hasn't paid off as the Hammers kick off their season in a nightmare, losing 0-3 to newly promoted Sunderland. And the fact that Walker-Peters would be the happiest despite having been sidelined in the game explains the evening West Ham had.
Walker-Peters' West Ham spell may see a debut season relegation
Now, there's no shying away from the opening day upsets we have all seen over the years. Yet, for some reason, this Sunderland thrashing feels bound to leave a lasting impact on West Ham's plans.
That's because, having barely scraped off the 17th position tag last season, Potter's job was already endangered to bring in quick results. And the fact that this game pushes the manager off to an early-season sacking, West Ham now have all their plans unsettled on what may come next.
Who knows, with just a couple of weeks left in the summer window, Walker-Peters' new side is forced to remaster their season project all over again. Surely, it's a terrible state to be in, and what's worse? Unlike Shearer's safety predictions, Kyle Walker-Peters may be on a relegation route again.
Honestly, going down despite changing suits could be the last thing Walker-Peters and his Saints fans would wish for. Needless to say, the hope remains that things will unfold better with the full-back not tarnishing his Top-Flight demotion record further.