English top flight: 10 things to watch for this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker ready for a new battle
A Mancunian rematch could be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is adapting well at Stamford Bridge after his summer move from Old Trafford and showcased his abilities in the Wolves match before the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed with a flawless grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside before dinking a ball to the back post. His celebration with Neto, replicating his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a reminder of the pace with which things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho faced Walker? When the youngster scored for United in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo key to ending Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire gossip column focus following a alleged £65m release clause for a possible mid-season move, the gossip columns preparing him for graduation out of the Premier League's average tier. This is to be expected from a attacker with six finishes plus three helpers who is joyous to watch. Still, Bournemouth find themselves in an difficult spot, experiencing a role reversal: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have been beaten seven-one combined over their last two fixtures following an strong opening to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa but taking on a defence without a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season may prove the best tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck a left-field choice for the Three Lions
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the national team window although the Brighton striker turns 35 next week. “Even without having met him, I know what he could give me,” commented the England manager. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a quite conventional striker role.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 caps several years ago, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be in the squad to the World Cup provided he is able to maintain his scoring exploits. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts more goals than any other English player in the top flight this season having six and will be anxious to increase that tally when Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
4. Sessegnon required as creator and goalscorer
Sessegnon's story has offered some warmth to Fulham's bumpy start. The left-sided player, who returned to his boyhood club last year following five challenging years at Tottenham, has become a regular starter, operating on the left flank with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The worry? With two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man the previous campaign, has scored once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term owing to hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver in a creative role in place of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last season. Fulham's following four fixtures include three among the best five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine scores this season this season. Danger looms for the club that have developed a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The occasion for Isak to produce for the Merseyside club
The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's inferiority during the match as they fell to loss number seven in 10 games. Arne Slot's squad must have a sustained recovery to enter the championship chase from here, along with a dramatic improvement in form, and opportunity emerges with seven of their next 10 league games versus clubs presently in the lower half of the table. The threat is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a loss at Anfield to the title holders in the last term, but it is not only Liverpool's display against direct play and quick transitions that will be in focus. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The expensive signing has not featured in domestic action in a month following a muscle issue during his second consecutive start in four days in the Champions League victory in Germany. He reappeared from the bench in the Swedish loss by Switzerland but missed Tuesday's dead rubber with Slovenia to secure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card in that match could have suspended him. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
