Premier division: 10 things to keep an eye on this matchday
Walker faces Garnacho ready for a new battle
A Manchester reunion might be in store when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is adapting well at Stamford Bridge following his off-season signing from the Red Devils and demonstrated his abilities against Wolves before the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace with a ideal grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield before lofting a delivery toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a testament of how quickly situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? Back when the former scored for United in their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo vital to ending Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the full rumour-mill attention due to a alleged £65m escape clause for a potential winter exit, the media positioning him for graduation out of the Premier League's average tier. This is to be expected for a attacker who has six finishes plus three setups and is pleasurable to watch. Still, Bournemouth are in an difficult position, having undergone a role reversal: it is the struggling side West Ham who arrive with back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down 7-1 over two games in their last two games following an impressive beginning to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their four-nil loss to Aston Villa yet facing a backline without a clean sheet for months may prove the best solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
The striker an outside option for England
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the fixture pause although the Brighton attacker turns 35 next week. “Despite not being familiar with him, I understand what he could offer me,” said the England boss. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional centre-forward role.” Having won the final 42 caps back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be selected for the World Cup if he manages to sustain his goalscoring feats. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal striker can claim more goals than any other English footballer in the top flight this term with six and remains keen to boost that total when Brighton entertain Brentford this weekend.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon needed as assist provider and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a measure of positivity to Fulham's inconsistent beginning. The left-sided player, who returned to his former side last year after five tough years at Tottenham, has emerged as a consistent pick, operating on the left with the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he is their joint-top scorer in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer last season, has bagged one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out for the long term because of hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon having to step up in a creative role replacing Robinson, who registered ten helpers last season. Fulham's upcoming four games include three among the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine strikes in the Premier League so far. Danger looms for the club that have built a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
5. Time for Alexander Isak to deliver for the Reds
The debate about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they fell to loss number seven in 10 games. The coach's team require a sustained recovery to enter the championship chase from here, as well as a major upturn in results, and opportunity emerges with seven of their next 10 Premier League matches versus teams presently in the bottom ten in the standings. The risk is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to deliver a loss at Anfield to Liverpool last season, however it's not just Liverpool's showing versus aerial passes and counterattacks that will be under the spotlight. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not played in domestic action over four weeks following a groin problem when making his second consecutive start in quick succession in the Champions League triumph in Germany. He reappeared from the bench in Sweden's loss to Switzerland but missed the midweek meaningless match with Slovenia to secure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. A booking on Tuesday might have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
