Premier League: 10 things to watch for this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho set for a new encounter
A Mancunian rematch might be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker is finding his feet in west London following his summer move from the Red Devils and showcased his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the national team interval. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed rapid acceleration with a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right prior to dinking a cross to the back post. His celebration with Neto, replicating his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of the speed at which circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho encountered Walker? During the Argentine scored for United during their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
Antoine Semenyo vital to ending Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire rumour-mill treatment following a reported £65m escape clause for his possible mid-season move, the tabloids setting him up for advancement out of the Premier League's middle class. This is predictable from a attacker with six goals plus three setups and remains pleasurable to watch. Nonetheless, Bournemouth occupy an awkward situation, experiencing a body swap: it is the struggling side West Ham who arrive on consecutive triumphs, whereas Bournemouth are down 7-1 over two games over their last two games following an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in their heavy loss by Aston Villa but taking on a backline lacking a clean sheet for months could be the perfect remedy.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
Danny Welbeck an outside shout for the national team
It proved notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause although the Brighton striker turns 35 next week. “Despite not being familiar with him, I understand what he can offer me,” said the England coach. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a quite orthodox centre-forward position.” Earning the last of his 42 international appearances in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck could be selected to the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goalscoring exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim additional strikes over every other English performer in England's top division this campaign having six and will be keen to add to that count when Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon needed as creator and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a degree of positivity to Fulham's inconsistent start. The left-sided player, who rejoined his boyhood club last year following five difficult years in north London, has emerged as a consistent pick, driving down the left flank due to the injury of the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? With two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer this season as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker last season, has scored once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term due to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also being required to contribute as a creator replacing Robinson, who supplied 10 assists in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' upcoming four matches feature three among the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine strikes in the league so far. Danger looms for the club that have built a standing for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for Isak to deliver for Liverpool
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal against Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's deficiencies in that game as they fell to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's side must have a consistent improvement to enter the championship chase from this position, plus a dramatic upturn in results, and opportunity presents itself with seven from their next 10 Premier League matches versus teams at the moment in the bottom half in the standings. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to deliver a defeat on their own turf on the champions in the last term, but it is not only Liverpool's performance against long balls and fast breaks that is under the spotlight. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The £125m striker has not played at club level for a month having sustained a groin injury during his second consecutive start over a short period in continental competition win abroad. Isak returned off the bench during Sweden's defeat by Switzerland but missed the midweek meaningless match against Slovenia to guarantee his availability for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A booking on Tuesday might have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
