English top flight: ten key points to watch for this matchday
1. Garnacho and Walker set for another battle
A Manchester reunion might be in store as Burnley's Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The winger is adapting well at Stamford Bridge following his close-season transfer from Manchester United and displayed his abilities in the Wolves match prior to the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration and a flawless along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside before lofting a ball toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a reminder of the pace with which things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho encountered Walker? During the former scored for United during their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
2. Semenyo crucial to ending Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the full transfer speculation treatment following a alleged £65m buyout clause for his potential mid-season move, the media setting him up for promotion out of the Premier League's average tier. That is to be expected for a wide player who has a half-dozen strikes and three assists and is joyous to watch. Still, Bournemouth occupy an awkward spot, having engaged in a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who arrive on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have been beaten seven-one on aggregate over their previous two fixtures following an impressive start to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez in their 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa but taking on a defence without a shutout since August may prove the best remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
3. Welbeck an outside option for the national team
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck multiple times during the international break even though the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Despite not being familiar with him, I know what he could provide,” stated the England boss. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional striker role.” Having won the last of his 42 England games in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be in the squad to the World Cup provided he can sustain his goalscoring feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts additional strikes over every other English footballer in the Premier League this campaign with six and will be keen to add to that count when Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon required as assist provider and scorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought a degree of positivity to Fulham's uneven beginning. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his former side recently after five difficult years at Tottenham, has become a consistent pick, operating on the left side in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he remains their leading marksman in the league alongside Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker last season, has scored once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period due to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon must also being required to contribute as a creator in place of Robinson, who registered 10 assists last time round. The Cottagers' upcoming four matches feature three among the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine strikes this season so far. A threat emerges for the club that have built a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for the Reds
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's deficiencies during the match as they succumbed to their seventh loss in ten matches. Arne Slot's side need a consistent improvement to enter the title race from this position, plus a major boost in performance, and the possibility presents itself with seven of their next 10 league games against teams currently in the bottom half in the standings. The threat is clear from Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a loss at Anfield on the champions last season, but it is not only Liverpool's display when facing aerial passes and counterattacks that remains under the spotlight. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The £125m striker has been absent in domestic action over four weeks having sustained a groin injury when making his second consecutive start over a short period in continental competition triumph abroad. Isak returned as a substitute during Sweden's reverse against Switzerland but missed the midweek inconsequential game versus Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A booking in that match would have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
