Premier division: ten highlights to watch for this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker poised for a fresh clash
A Mancunian rematch might be on the cards as Burnley's Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is finding his feet with Chelsea after his summer move from Manchester United and demonstrated his abilities versus Wolverhampton prior to the international break. His setup for Pedro Neto blended rapid acceleration with a ideal grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside before dinking a cross to the back post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a testament of the speed at which situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho faced Walker? During the youngster found the net for United in their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday half past twelve (start times GMT)
The winger vital to ending Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete gossip column focus following a alleged £65m escape clause for a potential mid-season move, the gossip columns preparing him for graduation out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. That is understandable for a winger who has six finishes and three setups who is pleasurable to watch. Nonetheless, his side are in an difficult spot, having undergone a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven to one on aggregate over their past two games following an promising beginning to the season. Semenyo was denied from the spot by Emi Martínez in their 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa however taking on a backline that hasn't kept a clean sheet since August could be the best tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The striker a left-field choice for England
It seemed intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton forward turns 35 next week. “Even without being familiar with him, I am aware what he could provide,” said the England boss. “He can be a reserve for Harry [Kane] playing a very traditional centre-forward role.” Earning the last of his 42 international appearances back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be on the plane to the World Cup provided he can continue his scoring exploits. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts a greater tally over every other English performer in England's top division this term having six and remains anxious to add to that tally when Brighton host Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon required as playmaker and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered a degree of comfort to Fulham's uneven start. The 25-year-old, who came back to his youth team last year after five tough years at Tottenham, has become a first-team fixture, operating on the left side with the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? With two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has bagged one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period due to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also being required to contribute as an assist provider replacing Robinson, who provided 10 assists last time round. Fulham's following four matches feature three from the best five plus Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine goals in the league so far. A threat emerges for the club that have developed a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
5. Time for Alexander Isak to deliver for the Reds
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's inferiority on the day as they fell to loss number seven in 10 games. The coach's squad must have a prolonged upturn to enter the league contest from here, plus a major upturn in results, and opportunity presents itself as seven from their following ten Premier League matches against clubs currently in the bottom ten of the table. The risk is clear from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a defeat on their own turf to the title holders last season, however it's not just Liverpool's performance when facing direct play and counterattacks that remains under the spotlight. It is time that Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The expensive signing has not played at club level in a month following a muscle issue during his second consecutive start over a short period in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned as a substitute in the Swedish reverse to Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's meaningless match with Slovenia to ensure his availability for the World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card in that match would have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
