Premier League: 10 things to keep an eye on this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker poised for a fresh battle
A Mancunian rematch may be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man has started to settle at Stamford Bridge after his close-season transfer from Manchester United and showcased his talents in the Wolves match prior to the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace with a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside before chipping a delivery to the back post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of the speed at which situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? During the youngster netted for United during their Wembley triumph over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
The winger crucial to stopping Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full gossip column attention amid a alleged £65m escape clause for a prospective winter exit, the tabloids preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. That is to be expected for a winger with six finishes plus three assists and remains joyous to watch. However, his side are in an awkward situation, experiencing a role reversal: now it's the struggling side West Ham who arrive on successive wins, while Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 combined in their past two games after an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa however confronting a defensive unit that hasn't kept a clean sheet since August might be the perfect remedy.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
3. Welbeck a surprise choice for the national team
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the international break despite the fact that the Brighton striker reaches 35 soon. “Without even being familiar with him, I know what he is able to provide,” commented the England coach. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a very traditional No 9 position.” Gaining the last of his 42 caps back in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup assuming he is able to continue his goalscoring performances. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim additional strikes than any other English player in the top flight this season having six and is keen to boost that tally when Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The full-back crucial as playmaker and goalscorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a degree of comfort to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his youth team last year after five difficult years with Spurs, has become a first-team fixture, driving down the left flank in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he's also their leading marksman in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their top scorer the previous campaign, has scored a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term because of a hamstring operation. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver as a creator instead of Robinson, who provided ten helpers last season. Fulham's upcoming four games include three from the best five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed only nine scores in the Premier League this season. A threat emerges for the club that have earned a name for mid-table stability.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for Alexander Isak to deliver for the Merseyside club
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort against Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they fell to their seventh loss in ten matches. Arne Slot's side need a sustained recovery to muscle into the championship chase from here, along with a significant boost in performance, and a chance presents itself with seven out of their next 10 Premier League matches facing teams currently in the bottom half in the league. The threat is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a defeat on their own turf to the title holders in the last term, however it's not just Liverpool's display against direct play and fast breaks that is in focus. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The expensive signing has not played for his club for a month following a muscle issue while his second start in quick succession in Europe victory in Germany. He reappeared from the bench in the Swedish loss to Switzerland but sat out the subsequent dead rubber versus Slovenia to secure his readiness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A caution on Tuesday could have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
