English top flight: 10 things to look out for this matchday
Garnacho versus Walker poised for another encounter
A Manchester reunion might be on the cards as Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker is finding his feet in west London after his off-season signing from the Red Devils and showcased his abilities against Wolves before the fixture pause. His key pass for Pedro Neto blended rapid acceleration and a flawless grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside before lofting a cross across the goalmouth. His celebration with Neto, echoing his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a reminder of how quickly situations evolve. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? When the youngster found the net for United in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
The winger vital to stopping Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire rumour-mill treatment amid a claimed £65m escape clause for a possible mid-season move, the tabloids setting him up for promotion out of the Premier League's average tier. That is understandable for a winger who has six goals and three setups who is delightful to watch. However, Bournemouth occupy an awkward situation, having undergone a form flip: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who arrive with back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have lost 7-1 combined in their last two matches following an strong start to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez during the four-nil loss to Aston Villa but confronting a defensive unit that hasn't kept a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season could be the perfect remedy.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Danny Welbeck an outside option for the Three Lions
It proved notable to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the national team window even though the Brighton striker turns 35 soon. “Even without having met him, I know what he is able to provide,” said the England manager. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] playing a very traditional striker role.” Gaining the final 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck may be selected to the World Cup provided he is able to sustain his goal-getting performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker can claim additional strikes than any other English player in England's top division this season on six and remains eager to boost that total as Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
4. Sessegnon required as creator and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a degree of warmth to Fulham's inconsistent start. The 25-year-old, who returned to his youth team recently following five challenging years at Tottenham, has emerged as a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he is their joint-top scorer in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their top scorer in the last term, has bagged a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable until 2026 owing to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver in a creative role instead of Robinson, who supplied ten setups last season. Fulham's upcoming four games feature three among the best five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine strikes in the Premier League so far. Danger looms for a team that have earned a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The moment for The striker to perform for the Merseyside club
The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's deficiencies in that game as they fell to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The manager's side require a prolonged upturn to enter the championship chase from here, as well as a dramatic boost in performance, and opportunity presents itself as seven of their following ten Premier League matches versus clubs presently in the lower half in the standings. The threat is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a loss at Anfield to the title holders last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing versus aerial passes and fast breaks that remains under scrutiny. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has been absent in domestic action for a month having sustained a muscle issue during his second start over a short period in continental competition triumph in Germany. Isak returned off the bench during Sweden's reverse by Switzerland but was rested Tuesday's dead rubber against Slovenia to ensure his fitness for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A booking on Tuesday could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
