Premier division: 10 things to watch for this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker ready for a new battle
Another northwest showdown may be in the offing when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge after his close-season transfer from the Red Devils and displayed his abilities versus Wolverhampton before the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace with a flawless along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto required moving onto his right before chipping a ball to the back post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a testament of the pace with which things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the former found the net for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo vital to ending Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full rumour-mill focus following a reported £65m buyout clause for a prospective winter exit, the media setting him up for promotion from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is understandable from a wide player with six finishes plus three setups and is joyous to watch. Nonetheless, Bournemouth occupy an awkward position, having engaged in a body swap: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who arrive on consecutive triumphs, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one over two games over their past two fixtures after an promising opening to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa however confronting a backline lacking a clean sheet since August might be the ideal solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck a left-field choice for England
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the international break despite the fact that the Brighton attacker turns 35 in the coming days. “Even without knowing him, I know what he can offer me,” stated the England coach. “He might act as a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a quite conventional striker role.” Having won the final 42 caps in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be on the plane for the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goal-getting exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward has a greater tally over every other English footballer in the top flight this term having six and will be keen to boost that tally when Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3pm
The full-back crucial as playmaker and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided some warmth to Fulham's uneven opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his boyhood club recently after five difficult years with Spurs, is now a regular starter, driving down the left with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he's also their top goalscorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their primary attacker the previous campaign, has scored a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out until 2026 due to hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon having to step up in a creative role replacing Robinson, who provided 10 assists last season. The Cottagers' next four matches feature three of the leading five plus Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine strikes in the league so far. A threat emerges for a team that have built a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
The occasion for Isak to perform for the Merseyside club
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they succumbed to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The manager's side need a prolonged upturn to enter the title race from here, plus a dramatic improvement in form, and the possibility emerges as seven of their upcoming ten Premier League matches versus clubs at the moment in the bottom half of the table. The threat is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a home league defeat to the title holders last season, however it's not just Liverpool's showing when facing aerial passes and fast breaks that remains under the spotlight. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has been absent in domestic action over four weeks following a muscle issue when making his second consecutive start over a short period in Europe win in Germany. He reappeared from the bench in the Swedish reverse to Switzerland but sat out the subsequent dead rubber versus Slovenia to guarantee his availability for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card in that match would have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
