Premier division: 10 things to keep an eye on this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a fresh encounter
A Manchester reunion may be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The winger is adapting well in west London following his close-season transfer from Manchester United and showcased his skills versus Wolverhampton before the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto blended rapid acceleration and a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right before dinking a cross to the back post. His joyous moment with Neto, replicating his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of how quickly circumstances change. The most recent instance Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the youngster scored for United during their Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo vital to stopping Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete gossip column focus due to a claimed £65m escape clause for his possible mid-season move, the tabloids setting him up for graduation from the Premier League's average tier. That is to be expected for a attacker who has a half-dozen strikes plus three assists and is joyous to watch. Nonetheless, his team are in an tricky position, having undergone a body swap: now it's the struggling side West Ham who come in on consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven to one over two games over their previous two fixtures after an impressive start to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the spot by Emi Martínez during the 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa yet confronting a backline lacking a shutout in the league since the start of the season might be the best remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Danny Welbeck a left-field shout for the Three Lions
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the international break although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 next week. “Despite not being familiar with him, I am aware what he is able to offer me,” stated the England coach. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a very traditional centre-forward role.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 caps several years ago, there is every chance that Welbeck could be on the plane for the World Cup provided he can maintain his scoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker has additional strikes compared to any English player in England's top division this term with six and will be anxious to increase that total when Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
4. Sessegnon required as playmaker and scorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided some warmth to Fulham's bumpy opening. The left-sided player, who rejoined his boyhood club last year after five challenging years with Spurs, is now a regular starter, operating on the left with the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he's also their top goalscorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their leading man in the last term, has bagged once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period because of hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon having to step up in a creative role instead of Robinson, who registered ten helpers last time round. The Cottagers' following four fixtures feature three from the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine goals in the Premier League so far. Trouble awaits for a team that have developed a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
5. Time for Isak to perform for the Reds
The dispute regarding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they succumbed to loss number seven over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's squad require a sustained recovery to muscle into the title race from their current spot, as well as a significant boost in performance, and the possibility presents itself as seven out of their following ten league games versus teams at the moment in the lower half in the standings. The threat is evident from Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool in the last term, however it's not just Liverpool's performance against long balls and quick transitions that is under the spotlight. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to show up for Liverpool. The big-money forward has been absent in domestic action for a month after picking up a muscle issue during his second consecutive start over a short period in Europe victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned off the bench in Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but missed Tuesday's meaningless match against Slovenia to secure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A yellow card in that match would have suspended him. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
