Premier division: ten highlights to look out for this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho poised for another encounter
A Mancunian rematch might be in the offing when the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The attacker is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge following his summer move from Old Trafford and showcased his abilities in the Wolves match prior to the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed and a flawless grounded ball. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right before dinking a delivery across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, echoing his earlier celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the speed at which situations evolve. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? Back when the former found the net for United in their Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo vital to ending Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete transfer speculation treatment due to a alleged £65m escape clause for a possible January departure, the media setting him up for promotion out of the Premier League's average tier. That is understandable from a attacker with a half-dozen strikes and three assists and remains delightful to watch. Nonetheless, Bournemouth find themselves in an awkward spot, experiencing a role reversal: it is the struggling side West Ham who enter with consecutive triumphs, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one over two games over their previous two matches following an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss to Aston Villa however facing a backline without a goalless game since August may prove the perfect remedy.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
Danny Welbeck an outside shout for the national team
It was notable to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the international break even though the Brighton striker reaches 35 in the coming days. “Without even being familiar with him, I understand what he is able to give me,” commented the England coach. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a quite conventional No 9 position.” Gaining the last of his 42 caps back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup if he is able to continue his goalscoring exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker has more goals over every other English performer in the top flight this campaign with six and remains eager to boost that count when Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon needed as playmaker and goalscorer
Sessegnon's story has brought a measure of comfort to Fulham's uneven opening. The 25-year-old, who came back to his youth team recently following five challenging years in north London, has become a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left flank with the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer in the league alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man last season, has bagged one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured until 2026 because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also being required to contribute in a creative role instead of Robinson, who supplied ten setups last season. Fulham's next four fixtures include three from the best five and Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine strikes in the league to date. Trouble awaits for the club that have earned a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
5. Time for The striker to deliver for Liverpool
The debate regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they lost to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's side need a consistent improvement to enter the league contest from their current spot, as well as a dramatic boost in performance, and a chance arises with seven of their next 10 top-flight fixtures facing clubs currently in the bottom ten in the standings. The risk is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a loss at Anfield to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's performance when facing direct play and quick transitions that remains in focus. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to perform in a Liverpool shirt. The £125m striker has been absent at club level for a month following a muscle issue during his second consecutive start in four days in Europe victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back from the bench in the Swedish reverse to Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's meaningless match against Slovenia to secure his readiness for the World Cup knockout rounds. A caution on Tuesday would have suspended him. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
