Premier division: 10 things to look out for this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker poised for a fresh battle
Another northwest showdown may be on the cards when the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The attacker has started to settle at Stamford Bridge following his summer move from Old Trafford and displayed his talents in the Wolves match before the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration and a perfect low cross. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield before lofting a delivery to the back post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a indication of how quickly situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho faced Walker? Back when the youngster found the net for United in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)
The winger crucial to ending Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire rumour-mill attention amid a claimed ÂŁ65m buyout clause for a possible January departure, the gossip columns preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. This is predictable for a wide player who has six finishes plus three assists and is pleasurable to watch. However, Bournemouth find themselves in an awkward spot, having engaged in a role reversal: now it's the struggling side West Ham who arrive on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven to one on aggregate in their previous two fixtures after an promising opening to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi MartĂnez in their 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa but confronting a backline without a clean sheet for months might be the best remedy.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
3. Welbeck an outside choice for England
It seemed notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the national team window even though the Brighton attacker turns 35 in the coming days. âWithout even knowing him, I am aware what he can offer me,â said the England manager. âHe could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a very orthodox striker position.â Gaining the final 42 international appearances back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goalscoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker can claim more goals compared to any English player in England's top division this campaign with six and is keen to increase that count as Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon required as assist provider and scorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided a measure of warmth to Fulham's inconsistent start. The left-sided player, who returned to his former side last year after five difficult years with Spurs, is now a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left flank with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The issue? On two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker last season, has scored one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured until 2026 because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver in a creative role replacing Robinson, who registered ten helpers in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' next four games include three among the best five plus Crystal Palace, who have conceded only nine strikes this season to date. Danger looms for a side that have earned a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
The occasion for Isak to produce for Liverpool
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort against Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they succumbed to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The coach's side require a consistent improvement to muscle into the title race from their current spot, along with a significant boost in performance, and the possibility emerges as seven of their following ten top-flight fixtures facing clubs currently in the bottom ten of the table. The danger is obvious from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to deliver a loss at Anfield to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's display when facing direct play and fast breaks that is under scrutiny. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has been absent in domestic action in a month following a groin injury when making his second consecutive start in four days in continental competition triumph in Germany. He reappeared off the bench in the Swedish reverse by Switzerland but missed Tuesday's inconsequential game versus Slovenia to ensure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A yellow card on Tuesday could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient