Premier League: ten key points to look out for this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker poised for a new battle
A Mancunian rematch may be in store when Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is finding his feet with Chelsea following his off-season signing from Manchester United and demonstrated his skills against Wolves before the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto combined electric speed with a flawless along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right before chipping a delivery to the back post. His goal reaction with Neto, echoing his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of how quickly things transform. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? When the Argentine scored for United in their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to stopping Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete transfer speculation focus amid a claimed £65m buyout clause for a prospective winter exit, the tabloids setting him up for graduation out of the Premier League's average tier. It is predictable from a wide player with six goals plus three helpers and remains delightful to watch. However, Bournemouth occupy an tricky situation, having engaged in a form flip: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who come in on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one combined over their past two matches following an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their four-nil loss by Aston Villa however facing a defence that hasn't kept a clean sheet since August might be the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3pm
Danny Welbeck a left-field option for the national team
It proved interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the international break even though the Brighton striker reaches 35 in the coming days. “Despite not knowing him, I understand what he can offer me,” commented the England coach. “He might act as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a quite orthodox centre-forward role.” Having won the final 42 caps back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be selected to the World Cup if he manages to sustain his goal-getting exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts additional strikes than any other English footballer in the top flight this season on six and remains keen to increase that total when Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon crucial as assist provider and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has offered a measure of positivity to Fulham's uneven opening. The former Tottenham man, who rejoined his boyhood club last year after five tough years in north London, has become a first-team fixture, driving down the left with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? Having scored twice, he's also their joint-top scorer this season alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man in the last term, has netted one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is out for an extended period owing to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as an assist provider replacing Robinson, who supplied ten helpers last time round. The Cottagers' next four fixtures feature three from the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed merely nine goals in the Premier League to date. Danger looms for the club that have earned a standing for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
5. Time for Isak to deliver for the Reds
The dispute regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's deficiencies during the match as they lost to loss number seven in ten matches. The coach's team require a consistent improvement to muscle into the championship chase from here, along with a dramatic boost in performance, and the possibility emerges with seven out of their following ten league games against sides at the moment in the bottom half of the table. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to deliver a home league defeat to Liverpool the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's showing versus aerial passes and counterattacks that will be under the spotlight. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The expensive signing has been absent at club level in a month after picking up a groin injury during his second consecutive start in quick succession in the Champions League victory in Germany. He reappeared off the bench in the Swedish loss by Switzerland but missed Tuesday's dead rubber versus Slovenia to guarantee his readiness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A booking during the game would have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
