Premier division: 10 things to keep an eye on this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker ready for a new encounter
Another northwest showdown might be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is adapting well in west London after his summer move from Old Trafford and displayed his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a perfect grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto required moving onto his right prior to dinking a cross toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, echoing his earlier celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus HÃļjlund, served as a reminder of the speed at which circumstances change. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? During the former scored for United in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to halting Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire gossip column attention following a claimed ÂĢ65m release clause for a potential January departure, the tabloids setting him up for advancement out of the Premier League's average tier. That is understandable from a wide player with six goals and three assists and remains delightful to watch. Still, his team are in an awkward position, having undergone a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter on successive wins, while Bournemouth have lost seven to one over two games over their last two fixtures following an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi MartÃnez during the 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa yet facing a defensive unit that hasn't kept a goalless game for months may prove the best solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The striker an outside shout for the Three Lions
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the fixture pause although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. âEven without having met him, I understand what he could offer me,â commented the England boss. âHe can be a back-up for Harry [Kane] playing a very traditional centre-forward position.â Gaining the last of his 42 caps several years ago, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be on the plane to the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goal-getting performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts a greater tally over every other English player in the top flight this campaign on six and remains keen to add to that tally as Brighton welcome Brentford this weekend.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
The full-back crucial as assist provider and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a degree of warmth to Fulham's bumpy start. The left-sided player, who returned to his boyhood club recently after five challenging years at Tottenham, has emerged as a consistent pick, operating on the left flank with the injured Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer in the league alongside Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker last season, has scored one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term because of hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon having to step up in a creative role in place of Robinson, who supplied ten setups last season. Fulham's following four fixtures feature three of the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine strikes in the Premier League so far. Danger looms for a team that have earned a reputation for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they lost to loss number seven in 10 games. The manager's team need a consistent improvement to force their way into the championship chase from here, along with a significant upturn in results, and a chance arises with seven from their upcoming ten league games versus clubs currently in the bottom ten in the league. The threat is obvious from Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a defeat on their own turf to the title holders the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's display versus long balls and counterattacks that remains in focus. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not played in domestic action over four weeks after picking up a groin problem during his second start in quick succession in Europe win in Germany. The striker came back from the bench in the Swedish loss by Switzerland but sat out the subsequent dead rubber with Slovenia to secure his readiness for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A booking during the game could have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
