Premier division: ten key points to look out for this matchday
Garnacho versus Walker ready for a new battle
Another northwest showdown may be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The attacker is adapting well in west London following his summer move from the Red Devils and showcased his abilities against Wolves prior to the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace and a flawless grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto required cutting inside before chipping a ball to the back post. His celebration with Neto, echoing his prior celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the speed at which situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the Argentine netted for United in the cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
The winger vital to ending Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete rumour-mill focus following a reported £65m release clause for a possible winter exit, the gossip columns positioning him for promotion out of the Premier League's average tier. That is predictable for a wide player who has six goals and three assists who is joyous to watch. Nonetheless, Bournemouth are in an tricky position, experiencing a role reversal: it is the struggling side West Ham who come in on back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost 7-1 on aggregate over their past two matches following an promising opening to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa however confronting a defensive unit lacking a goalless game since August may prove the best remedy.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck a surprise option for the Three Lions
It seemed notable to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause even though the Brighton forward reaches 35 next week. “Despite not being familiar with him, I understand what he could give me,” said the England coach. “He might act as a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a very orthodox centre-forward role.” Having won the most recent of his 42 international appearances several years ago, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be selected to the World Cup provided he is able to maintain his goalscoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker has more goals than any other English footballer in the top flight this season with six and remains anxious to increase that total as Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon required as playmaker and goalscorer
Sessegnon's story has brought a measure of warmth to Fulham's bumpy opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his boyhood club last year following five challenging years with Spurs, is now a consistent pick, driving down the left flank due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The issue? With two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer this season together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker the previous campaign, has scored a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term owing to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also being required to contribute in a creative role replacing Robinson, who provided 10 assists last season. The Cottagers' following four fixtures feature three among the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine goals in the Premier League so far. A threat emerges for the club that have built a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
5. Time for Alexander Isak to produce for Liverpool
The controversy 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 a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. The coach's squad must have a prolonged upturn to force their way into the title race from here, as well as a major boost in performance, and the possibility presents itself as seven out of their next 10 league games facing sides currently in the lower half of the table. The threat is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a home league defeat to the title holders the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing against aerial passes and quick transitions that will be under the spotlight. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to perform in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not played at club level for a month after picking up a groin problem when making his second consecutive start over a short period in the Champions League victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back as a substitute during Sweden's defeat against Switzerland but missed the subsequent inconsequential game with Slovenia to secure his availability for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A booking during the game could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
