English top flight: 10 things to watch for this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a new battle
A Manchester reunion might be in store as Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger has started to settle in west London following his summer move from Old Trafford and demonstrated his skills against Wolves prior to the national team interval. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace with a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto required shifting infield prior to dinking a cross toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his previous embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of how quickly situations evolve. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the former scored for United in their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
The winger key to stopping Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete gossip column treatment following a alleged £65m buyout clause for a prospective winter exit, the gossip columns preparing him for graduation from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is predictable for a wide player who has six finishes plus three helpers and is pleasurable to watch. However, his team occupy an difficult position, having undergone a role reversal: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 on aggregate over their past two matches following an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo was denied from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa but taking on a defensive unit that hasn't kept a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season might be the ideal tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
Danny Welbeck a surprise option for the national team
It was intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the fixture pause despite the fact that the Brighton attacker reaches 35 next week. “Without even having met him, I understand what he could offer me,” said the England coach. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a quite traditional striker role.” Having won the last of his 42 international appearances back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be selected for the World Cup assuming he can continue his scoring performances. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts more goals compared to any English footballer in the Premier League this term with six and will be eager to boost that count when Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon crucial as creator and finisher
Sessegnon's story has brought a measure of comfort to Fulham's bumpy start. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his boyhood club recently following five challenging years in north London, has become a consistent pick, operating on the left in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he is their leading marksman this season as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their leading man in the last term, has netted a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon must also having to step up in a creative role replacing Robinson, who provided ten setups last season. The Cottagers' upcoming four fixtures include three among the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine goals this season this season. A threat emerges for a side that have earned a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for Alexander Isak to produce for the Merseyside club
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal against Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's inferiority in that game as they lost to their seventh loss in ten matches. The coach's squad need a sustained recovery to force their way into the league contest from here, as well as a dramatic improvement in form, and opportunity presents itself as seven of their next 10 league games facing teams presently in the bottom half in the standings. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a home league defeat to Liverpool last season, however it's not just Liverpool's showing versus direct play and counterattacks that remains under the spotlight. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The £125m striker has not played for his club for a month after picking up a groin injury when making his second start over a short period in the Champions League win abroad. He reappeared off the bench in Sweden's reverse against Switzerland but was rested the midweek meaningless match against Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for next year's World Cup playoffs. A booking during the game might have suspended him. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
