Premier division: ten key points to look out for this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker set for a new encounter
Another northwest showdown might be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker is adapting well with Chelsea following his off-season signing from Manchester United and demonstrated his talents versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration with a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside prior to chipping a delivery toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his prior celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a indication of the speed at which situations evolve. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? When the former scored for United in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon half past twelve (all times GMT)
2. Semenyo crucial to stopping Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire gossip column treatment due to a claimed £65m escape clause for a possible January departure, the tabloids setting him up for promotion from the Premier League's middle class. That is to be expected for a wide player who has six goals plus three helpers and remains pleasurable to watch. Nonetheless, his team are in an tricky situation, having engaged in a role reversal: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who come in with consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth have lost seven to one over two games in their past two games following an impressive start to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez in their four-nil loss by Aston Villa but facing a defence lacking a shutout in the league since the start of the season could be the best tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3pm
Danny Welbeck a left-field choice for the national team
It seemed notable to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck multiple times during the national team window although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 next week. “Even without being familiar with him, I know what he could provide,” commented the England coach. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a very traditional centre-forward role.” Having won the final 42 England games back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be in the squad for the World Cup provided he can maintain his goalscoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker has more goals over every other English performer in the Premier League this term with six and remains keen to increase that count as Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
The full-back crucial as playmaker and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered a measure of warmth to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The 25-year-old, who returned to his youth team last year after five challenging years at Tottenham, has become a consistent pick, operating on the left side due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he remains their top goalscorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker the previous campaign, has bagged once while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable until 2026 due to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also having to step up as a creator instead of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last season. The Cottagers' next four fixtures include three of the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine scores this season so far. Trouble awaits for a team that have earned a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The occasion for Isak to perform for Liverpool
The debate surrounding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they lost to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The coach's squad must have a prolonged upturn to muscle into the championship chase from here, along with a significant upturn in results, and opportunity emerges with seven out of their next 10 league games against teams at the moment in the bottom ten of the table. The threat is clear from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool last season, but it is not only Liverpool's showing when facing direct play and counterattacks that will be in focus. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to perform in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not played for his club for a month following a groin injury when making his second start in quick succession in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back from the bench during Sweden's loss by Switzerland but was rested Tuesday's dead rubber against Slovenia to guarantee his availability for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A booking during the game might have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
