Premier League: ten key points to look out for this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker set for another encounter
A Mancunian rematch may be on the cards when Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is finding his feet with Chelsea following his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and showcased his talents against Wolves prior to the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed with a ideal low cross. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield prior to lofting a cross to the back post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of the pace with which things transform. The last time Garnacho took on Walker? During the former scored for United in the cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)
The winger crucial to stopping Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire gossip column attention due to a reported £65m escape clause for his potential winter exit, the media preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. This is to be expected from a winger with six finishes plus three assists and is delightful to watch. Still, Bournemouth occupy an tricky spot, having engaged in a form flip: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who come in on consecutive triumphs, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven-one on aggregate over their past two fixtures after an impressive beginning to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their four-nil loss to Aston Villa however confronting a backline that hasn't kept a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season might be the best solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck a left-field choice for England
It was intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the international break even though the Brighton striker celebrates 35 in the coming days. “Even without having met him, I am aware what he could give me,” stated the England coach. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a very traditional No 9 role.” Earning the most recent of his 42 caps back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck could be selected to the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goalscoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward has a greater tally than any other English footballer in England's top division this term with six and remains anxious to increase that tally when Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The full-back needed as assist provider and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a degree of comfort to Fulham's bumpy start. The former Tottenham man, who came back to his youth team recently following five challenging years in north London, has emerged as a regular starter, operating on the left flank with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The worry? With two goals, he's also their top goalscorer in the Premier League together with Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has bagged a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is out until 2026 because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also having to step up in a creative role in place of Robinson, who provided ten setups last season. The Cottagers' upcoming four games take in three of the best five plus Crystal Palace, who have conceded only nine strikes this season this season. Trouble awaits for the club that have developed a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
5. Time for Isak to perform for Liverpool
The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's inferiority on the day as they succumbed to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The manager's team must have a sustained recovery to force their way into the championship chase from this position, along with a major improvement in form, and opportunity emerges with seven from their next 10 Premier League matches facing clubs at the moment in the bottom ten of the table. The threat is obvious from Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a loss at Anfield to the title holders in the last term, but it is not only Liverpool's display against long balls and counterattacks that remains under scrutiny. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has not featured for his club over four weeks after picking up a groin problem while his second consecutive start in quick succession in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back as a substitute during Sweden's reverse against Switzerland but sat out the midweek dead rubber versus Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. A caution in that match would have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
