English top flight: ten highlights to look out for this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho poised for another clash
Another northwest showdown might be in store as Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The winger is adapting well with Chelsea after his summer move from Old Trafford and demonstrated his talents against Wolves before the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto combined electric speed with a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto required shifting infield prior to dinking a delivery to the back post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a testament of how quickly things transform. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? During the Argentine scored for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (start times GMT)
2. Semenyo key to ending Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full rumour-mill treatment following a reported £65m release clause for a potential winter exit, the media positioning him for promotion out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. It is predictable for a winger with six finishes and three assists and is delightful to watch. However, his team find themselves in an awkward position, having engaged in a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth have lost 7-1 combined in their last two games following an strong start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa yet confronting a defence that hasn't kept a clean sheet since August might be the best tonic.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
3. Welbeck an outside shout for the Three Lions
It proved notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the national team window despite the fact that the Brighton striker celebrates 35 next week. “Even without having met him, I understand what he could offer me,” commented the England boss. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a quite conventional No 9 position.” Earning the last of his 42 international appearances in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck might be selected to the World Cup provided he can continue his scoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts a greater tally than any other English performer in the Premier League this term with six and is eager to increase that tally as Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The full-back needed as assist provider and finisher
Sessegnon's story has offered a measure of positivity to Fulham's uneven beginning. The former Tottenham man, who came back to his boyhood club last year after five challenging years at Tottenham, has emerged as a regular starter, operating on the left with the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the Premier League alongside Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer last season, has bagged a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable until 2026 because of a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as an assist provider replacing Robinson, who registered ten setups in the previous campaign. Fulham's upcoming four matches feature three from the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine scores this season this season. Danger looms for the club that have built a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
5. Time for The striker to produce for the Merseyside club
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's inferiority during the match 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, plus a dramatic improvement in form, and opportunity arises with seven out of their next 10 Premier League matches facing teams currently in the bottom ten of the table. The risk is evident from Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's performance when facing long balls and fast breaks that is in focus. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not played at club level in a month having sustained a groin problem while his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in Europe victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. He reappeared from the bench in the Swedish defeat to Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's meaningless match against Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A booking during the game might have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
