Premier division: 10 things to watch for this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a new battle
A Mancunian rematch could be on the cards when Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is finding his feet with Chelsea after his close-season transfer from Manchester United and showcased his skills in the Wolves match before the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace and a perfect grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield before chipping a ball toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his prior celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a testament of the pace with which circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? When the youngster scored for United during their Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (kick-offs GMT)
The winger crucial to halting Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire rumour-mill attention following a reported £65m release clause for his potential winter exit, the gossip columns preparing him for graduation out of the Premier League's middle class. It is understandable for a wide player who has six finishes plus three helpers who is pleasurable to watch. Nonetheless, Bournemouth find themselves in an awkward situation, experiencing a body swap: now it's the struggling side West Ham who come in on successive wins, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one over two games in their previous two fixtures following an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa yet taking on a backline lacking a goalless game since August might be the best remedy.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
3. Welbeck a left-field shout for England
It was notable to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the national team window despite the fact that the Brighton striker turns 35 soon. “Without even having met him, I understand what he is able to offer me,” said the England boss. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a quite orthodox centre-forward position.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 caps back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be in the squad to the World Cup if he can sustain his goal-getting exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts more goals over every other English footballer in the top flight this campaign with six and is anxious to increase that tally when Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday 3pm
The full-back required as assist provider and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a measure of comfort to Fulham's uneven opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his boyhood club last year following five tough years with Spurs, has become a first-team fixture, driving down the left with the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their top scorer the previous campaign, has netted a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period because of a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as a creator in place of Robinson, who provided 10 assists last season. Fulham's next four fixtures take in three of the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine strikes this season so far. A threat emerges for the club that have built a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The moment for Isak to perform for the Merseyside club
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority on the day as they succumbed to loss number seven in 10 games. Arne Slot's team need a consistent improvement to muscle into the title race from their current spot, plus a significant upturn in results, and the possibility presents itself with seven of their upcoming ten league games against clubs currently in the bottom ten of the table. The danger is clear from Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a home league defeat to Liverpool in the last term, but it is not only Liverpool's showing against direct play and counterattacks that is in focus. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The £125m striker has not featured for his club over four weeks after picking up a groin problem when making his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in Europe triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back from the bench in Sweden's reverse against Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's inconsequential game against Slovenia to guarantee his readiness for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A caution during the game would have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
