Premier division: ten highlights to look out for this round of fixtures
1. Garnacho and Walker set for a new encounter
A Mancunian rematch could be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is finding his feet in west London following his off-season signing from Manchester United and showcased his abilities versus Wolverhampton before the fixture pause. His key pass for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed with a flawless grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto required shifting infield prior to lofting a cross toward the far post. His goal reaction with Neto, echoing his prior celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a testament of how quickly circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? During the former scored for United in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (kick-offs GMT)
Antoine Semenyo crucial to stopping Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete transfer speculation treatment amid a alleged £65m buyout clause for a possible January departure, the media positioning him for advancement out of the Premier League's middle class. It is to be expected for a wide player with a half-dozen strikes and three assists and remains delightful to watch. However, his side occupy an tricky spot, experiencing a role reversal: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one combined in their last two matches after an strong opening to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the spot by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss by Aston Villa however facing a defensive unit without a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season might be the ideal tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3pm
The striker an outside option for England
It proved interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the international break despite the fact that the Brighton striker reaches 35 in the coming days. “Even without being familiar with him, I know what he can provide,” said the England boss. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] playing a very conventional centre-forward role.” Gaining the last of his 42 international appearances several years ago, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup if he manages to continue his goalscoring exploits. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts more goals than any other English player in the Premier League this campaign on six and is eager to add to that tally when Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
The full-back required as assist provider and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided some positivity to Fulham's inconsistent start. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his boyhood club recently after five difficult years in north London, is now a first-team fixture, driving down the left side in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he remains their leading marksman in the Premier League alongside Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer in the last term, has scored a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term owing to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who registered ten setups last season. Fulham's following four fixtures take in three among the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine goals in the league to date. Danger looms for the club that have developed a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for Isak to produce for the Merseyside club
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they fell to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The coach's side need a prolonged upturn to enter the championship chase from their current spot, as well as a significant improvement in form, and a chance presents itself with seven from their next 10 league games versus sides at the moment in the bottom ten in the league. The danger is obvious from Nottingham Forest, the only team to deliver a home league defeat on the champions last season, however it's not just Liverpool's display when facing direct play and fast breaks that will be under the spotlight. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The big-money forward has not featured for his club for a month after picking up a groin problem when making his second start over a short period in continental competition triumph abroad. Isak returned from the bench during Sweden's loss to Switzerland but was rested the midweek inconsequential game versus Slovenia to secure his availability for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card during the game could have suspended him. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
