Premier League: ten key points to keep an eye on this matchday
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a new battle
A Manchester reunion might be on the cards when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The winger is adapting well in west London after his summer move from the Red Devils and demonstrated his abilities versus Wolverhampton before the international break. His setup for Pedro Neto mixed rapid acceleration and a perfect low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside prior to dinking a ball toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, replicating his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a testament of how quickly situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho encountered Walker? During the Argentine scored for United in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (all times GMT)
The winger key to halting Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full transfer speculation focus following a alleged £65m escape clause for a prospective mid-season move, the gossip columns positioning him for graduation out of the Premier League's average tier. That is predictable from a attacker with six finishes plus three helpers and is delightful to watch. However, Bournemouth find themselves in an tricky spot, having engaged in a body swap: it is the struggling side West Ham who come in on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one combined over their previous two matches following an strong beginning to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa however taking on a defence without a clean sheet since August could be the ideal solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
3. Welbeck a left-field option for the Three Lions
It proved intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause although the Brighton striker turns 35 soon. “Without even knowing him, I am aware what he could provide,” commented the England boss. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a very traditional No 9 position.” Having won the last of his 42 international appearances in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck could be selected to the World Cup provided he can continue his goalscoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts more goals over every other English footballer in England's top division this season with six and is anxious to increase that total as Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
The full-back needed as assist provider and goalscorer
Sessegnon's story has offered a degree of comfort to Fulham's inconsistent beginning. The 25-year-old, who returned to his boyhood club last year following five challenging years with Spurs, has become a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he's also their top goalscorer in the Premier League together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer in the last term, has netted a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out until 2026 due to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who registered 10 assists last season. The Cottagers' next four fixtures feature three among the top five and Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine strikes in the Premier League so far. Trouble awaits for a side that have built a standing for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for the Merseyside club
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's deficiencies during the match as they lost to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The coach's side require a consistent improvement to muscle into the title race from their current spot, plus a significant upturn in results, and the possibility emerges as seven from their following ten top-flight fixtures against clubs currently in the bottom ten in the league. The danger is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a loss at Anfield to the title holders in the last term, however it's not just Liverpool's performance versus long balls and quick transitions that remains under scrutiny. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The £125m striker has not featured for his club in a month following a groin injury during his second start in four days in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back off the bench in the Swedish loss against Switzerland but was rested Tuesday's inconsequential game against Slovenia to ensure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A booking on Tuesday could have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
