Premier division: 10 things to keep an eye on this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho ready for a new encounter
A Mancunian rematch may be on the cards when Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is finding his feet in west London after his summer move from the Red Devils and showcased his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the national team interval. His key pass for Pedro Neto blended rapid acceleration and a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside before lofting a delivery toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, replicating his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a testament of the pace with which situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? When the Argentine netted for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo key to stopping Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire rumour-mill attention amid a alleged £65m release clause for a possible winter exit, the tabloids positioning him for graduation out of the Premier League's middle class. This is predictable from a winger who has six goals and three assists and remains pleasurable to watch. Still, his side are in an awkward position, experiencing a role reversal: it is the struggling side West Ham who come in with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth are down seven to one on aggregate in their last two matches following an impressive start to the season. Semenyo was denied from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez during the 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa but taking on a defence that hasn't kept a clean sheet for months could be the ideal solution.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The striker an outside choice for England
It was notable to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the international break despite the fact that the Brighton attacker turns 35 in the coming days. “Despite not having met him, I know what he can give me,” said the England coach. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional striker position.” Gaining the final 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck may be selected to the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goal-getting feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts additional strikes over every other English performer in the Premier League this campaign on six and is anxious to increase that count as Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon crucial as playmaker and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a measure of comfort to Fulham's bumpy opening. The left-sided player, who rejoined his youth team recently after five tough years with Spurs, is now a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he's also their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker last season, has netted a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out until 2026 due to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as a creator instead of Robinson, who registered ten setups in the previous campaign. Fulham's following four matches include three from the leading five plus Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine scores in the Premier League to date. Trouble awaits for a team that have developed a standing for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
The moment for Isak to perform for the Reds
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they lost to loss number seven in 10 games. Arne Slot's squad need a sustained recovery to enter the championship chase from this position, as well as a major upturn in results, and a chance emerges as seven of their next 10 Premier League matches against teams presently in the lower half in the league. The threat is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to deliver a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's showing when facing direct play and fast breaks that is under the spotlight. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The expensive signing has not played for his club in a month following a muscle issue when making his second consecutive start in four days in the Champions League triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt. He reappeared off the bench during Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but was rested Tuesday's inconsequential game with Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for next year's World Cup playoffs. A yellow card in that match would have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
