Premier League: ten key points to look out for this round of fixtures
1. Garnacho and Walker set for another encounter
A Manchester reunion might be in the offing when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The winger has started to settle at Stamford Bridge after his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and showcased his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto combined electric speed with a flawless low cross. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield prior to lofting a ball to the back post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a reminder of how quickly circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the former scored for United in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday half past twelve (start times GMT)
The winger vital to ending Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete gossip column treatment amid a alleged £65m escape clause for his prospective January departure, the gossip columns setting him up for advancement out of the Premier League's middle class. It is to be expected from a winger with six goals and three setups and is joyous to watch. However, his team are in an tricky spot, experiencing a form flip: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who arrive with successive wins, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven to one combined over their last two matches following an promising start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa yet confronting a defence lacking a shutout for months might be the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
The striker an outside option for the Three Lions
It proved interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the national team window despite the fact that the Brighton forward turns 35 soon. “Despite not being familiar with him, I know what he is able to offer me,” said the England manager. “He can be a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a quite conventional No 9 role.” Gaining the final 42 international appearances in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be selected to the World Cup assuming he is able to sustain his goal-getting exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker has more goals than any other English performer in the Premier League this term with six and is eager to increase that count when Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
The full-back needed as playmaker and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has offered a measure of comfort to Fulham's uneven beginning. The former Tottenham man, who returned to his youth team recently following five difficult years in north London, has become a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he is their leading marksman this season as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has netted one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable until 2026 due to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as an assist provider replacing Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last time round. Fulham's next four fixtures feature three from the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine strikes in the Premier League so far. Danger looms for a team that have earned a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for Isak to produce for the Merseyside club
The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they succumbed to a seventh defeat in ten matches. Arne Slot's squad need a prolonged upturn to enter the championship chase from this position, plus a dramatic improvement in form, and opportunity arises as seven from their following ten Premier League matches facing sides at the moment in the bottom ten of the table. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a defeat on their own turf to the title holders the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's display versus direct play and fast breaks that remains under the spotlight. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The big-money forward has been absent for his club in a month having sustained a groin problem while his second start over a short period in continental competition victory abroad. The striker came back off the bench in the Swedish defeat to Switzerland but missed the subsequent dead rubber versus Slovenia to ensure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A yellow card in that match might have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
