Premier division: ten highlights to look out for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker ready for a new battle
A Manchester reunion could be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker has started to settle in west London after his summer move from Manchester United and showcased his abilities in the Wolves match prior to the fixture pause. His key pass for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto required moving onto his right before dinking a cross across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of the pace with which circumstances change. The last time Garnacho took on Walker? During the youngster scored for United in the Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to ending Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the full transfer speculation attention following a reported £65m release clause for his potential winter exit, the tabloids preparing him for graduation out of the Premier League's average tier. That is understandable for a winger with six finishes and three setups who is pleasurable to watch. However, his team occupy an difficult position, having undergone a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who arrive on consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth have lost seven-one on aggregate over their last two fixtures following an impressive beginning to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa yet taking on a defence without a shutout for months may prove the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
The striker a left-field shout for England
It was intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause even though the Brighton forward turns 35 soon. “Without even being familiar with him, I understand what he is able to give me,” said the England coach. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a very conventional striker position.” Gaining the last of his 42 England games back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be selected to the World Cup if he is able to continue his goalscoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward has additional strikes than any other English performer in England's top division this season having six and remains eager to increase that count when Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon crucial as playmaker and scorer
Sessegnon's story has provided some warmth to Fulham's uneven opening. The left-sided player, who came back to his former side recently following five tough years at Tottenham, is now a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he's also their top goalscorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker last season, has netted a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also having to step up as a creator in place of Robinson, who supplied ten setups last time round. Fulham's next four games take in three of the best five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine strikes this season so far. Trouble awaits for the club that have developed a reputation for mid-table stability.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
5. Time for Isak to deliver for the Reds
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's inferiority in that game as they succumbed to a seventh defeat in 10 games. The coach's team require a sustained recovery to enter the league contest from here, along with a dramatic improvement in form, and a chance arises with seven out of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures versus teams at the moment in the lower half of the table. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance versus direct play and counterattacks that will be under the spotlight. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver wearing red. The £125m striker has not featured at club level over four weeks having sustained a groin injury during his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in the Champions League victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. He reappeared as a substitute during Sweden's loss to Switzerland but sat out the midweek meaningless match with Slovenia to secure his readiness for next year's World Cup playoffs. A caution during the game could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
