Premier division: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a fresh battle
Another northwest showdown may be in the offing as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger is finding his feet in west London after his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and displayed his talents in the Wolves match before the fixture pause. His key pass for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a flawless along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right prior to lofting a delivery to the back post. His goal reaction with Neto, replicating his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a indication of the speed at which circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the former netted for United in their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (start times GMT)
The winger vital to ending Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete transfer speculation treatment following a reported £65m buyout clause for a potential January departure, the media positioning him for advancement out of the Premier League's average tier. It is to be expected for a attacker with six goals plus three setups who is pleasurable to watch. Nonetheless, his team find themselves in an awkward position, experiencing a role reversal: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who arrive on consecutive triumphs, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one on aggregate over their last two games following an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa but facing a backline that hasn't kept a goalless game since August could be the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
3. Welbeck a left-field option for the Three Lions
It was notable to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton forward reaches 35 soon. “Even without knowing him, I know what he could provide,” commented the England boss. “He can be a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a quite conventional No 9 role.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 England games in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he manages to continue his goal-getting performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker has more goals compared to any English player in the top flight this season having six and remains anxious to add to that total as Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The full-back crucial as assist provider and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought some comfort to Fulham's bumpy opening. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his boyhood club recently following five challenging years at Tottenham, has emerged as a consistent pick, operating on the left side due to the injury of the injured Antonee Robinson. The worry? Having scored twice, he's also their top goalscorer in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their top scorer the previous campaign, has bagged once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term owing to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also having to step up as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who provided 10 assists in the previous campaign. Fulham's following four fixtures take in three of the top five and Crystal Palace, who have allowed merely nine goals in the league so far. Danger looms for the club that have built a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
The occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for the Reds
The dispute regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they succumbed to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's side need a consistent improvement to force their way into the championship chase from their current spot, plus a significant boost in performance, and the possibility arises as seven of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures facing sides at the moment in the bottom half in the standings. The threat is clear from Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a home league defeat on the champions last season, however it's not just Liverpool's display when facing aerial passes and quick transitions that will be under scrutiny. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to perform in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not featured in domestic action over four weeks having sustained a groin problem when making his second consecutive start over a short period in continental competition victory abroad. The striker came back off the bench in Sweden's loss to Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's dead rubber against Slovenia to ensure his fitness for the World Cup knockout rounds. A caution during the game would have suspended him. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
