Premier division: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker set for a fresh encounter
A Manchester reunion could be on the cards when Burnley's Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man is adapting well in west London following his summer move from Manchester United and demonstrated his talents versus Wolverhampton before the national team interval. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a ideal low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right before chipping a delivery across the goalmouth. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of the pace with which situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? When the former netted for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
The winger key to halting Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete rumour-mill treatment following a reported £65m escape clause for his prospective January departure, the gossip columns preparing him for promotion out of the Premier League's average tier. This is understandable for a wide player who has a half-dozen strikes and three helpers and is delightful to watch. Nonetheless, his side are in an tricky spot, experiencing a body swap: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who come in on successive wins, while Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 combined in their last two matches after an strong opening to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez in their 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa however facing a defence that hasn't kept a shutout in the league since the start of the season might be the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
3. Welbeck an outside option for the national team
It proved intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the national team window despite the fact that the Brighton attacker reaches 35 next week. “Despite not being familiar with him, I am aware what he could offer me,” stated the England coach. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a very traditional centre-forward position.” Gaining the final 42 caps in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck could be in the squad for the World Cup if he manages to sustain his goal-getting exploits. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal forward has more goals over every other English player in the top flight this season with six and remains keen to boost that total when Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon crucial as creator and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought some warmth to Fulham's inconsistent start. The 25-year-old, who came back to his former side last year after five challenging years with Spurs, is now a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? Having scored twice, he remains their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their top scorer in the last term, has netted one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period owing to hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver as a creator in place of Robinson, who supplied ten setups last season. The Cottagers' upcoming four fixtures feature three among the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine goals in the Premier League to date. Danger looms for the club that have built a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
5. Time for The striker to produce for Liverpool
The dispute regarding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's inferiority on the day as they succumbed to loss number seven in 10 games. Arne Slot's squad need a sustained recovery to enter the title race from this position, along with a significant boost in performance, and opportunity presents itself as seven of their upcoming ten Premier League matches facing clubs currently in the lower half of the table. The threat is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a home league defeat to Liverpool last season, however it's not just Liverpool's showing against long balls and quick transitions that remains in focus. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not featured in domestic action over four weeks following a muscle issue when making his second appearance in the lineup in four days in continental competition win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back as a substitute during Sweden's loss against Switzerland but missed Tuesday's inconsequential game with Slovenia to secure his fitness for the World Cup qualifiers. A booking on Tuesday might have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
