Premier League: ten highlights to keep an eye on this matchday
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a fresh battle
A Manchester reunion could be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is adapting well with Chelsea following his summer move from the Red Devils and displayed his skills versus Wolverhampton before the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed with a perfect low cross. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside prior to dinking a delivery toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a reminder of how quickly situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? During the former scored for United in their cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon half past twelve (kick-offs GMT)
The winger crucial to halting Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the full transfer speculation treatment following a reported £65m buyout clause for a prospective January departure, the tabloids positioning him for advancement out of the Premier League's average tier. It is to be expected for a attacker who has six goals and three setups and is joyous to watch. Still, his side find themselves in an difficult situation, having engaged in a form flip: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who enter on consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 on aggregate over their past two matches after an strong beginning to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa yet facing a defensive unit without a shutout for months could be the best solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
3. Welbeck an outside option for the Three Lions
It was interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the international break although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 next week. “Without even having met him, I understand what he is able to offer me,” said the England boss. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a very orthodox centre-forward role.” Having won the last of his 42 caps in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be in the squad to the World Cup provided he manages to continue his scoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts additional strikes compared to any English footballer in the Premier League this term having six and remains anxious to add to that total when Brighton welcome Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3pm
The full-back required as playmaker and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought some warmth to Fulham's bumpy opening. The 25-year-old, who returned to his former side last year following five difficult years in north London, has emerged as a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? With two goals, he remains their leading marksman in the Premier League together with Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their top scorer in the last term, has scored once while Rodrigo Muniz is out for the long term owing to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver in a creative role in place of Robinson, who provided 10 assists last time round. The Cottagers' upcoming four fixtures feature three from the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine scores in the league so far. Danger looms for a team that have earned a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
The occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for the Merseyside club
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's inferiority on the day as they lost to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The coach's squad need a sustained recovery to enter the league contest from their current spot, along with a significant boost in performance, and opportunity emerges with seven out of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures facing sides at the moment in the bottom ten of the table. The danger is evident from Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool in the last term, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing against aerial passes and fast breaks that will be in focus. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has been absent in domestic action over four weeks after picking up a muscle issue during his second consecutive start in four days in the Champions League triumph in Germany. The striker came back off the bench in the Swedish defeat to Switzerland but sat out the subsequent inconsequential game versus Slovenia to ensure his availability for the World Cup playoffs. A caution on Tuesday would have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
