Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker poised for another clash
A Manchester reunion may be in the offing as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man is finding his feet with Chelsea following his close-season transfer from the Red Devils and demonstrated his skills against Wolves before the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace with a flawless low cross. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside prior to dinking a ball across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his prior celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of how quickly circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the former netted for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (all times GMT)
The winger vital to halting Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire gossip column attention amid a alleged £65m release clause for his possible winter exit, the media positioning him for promotion from the Premier League's middle class. This is predictable for a winger who has six finishes plus three setups and remains pleasurable to watch. However, his side are in an tricky position, having engaged in a body swap: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost 7-1 on aggregate over their last two games following an impressive opening to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the spot by Emi Martínez in their 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa but taking on a defensive unit that hasn't kept a goalless game for months could be the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
The striker an outside choice for the Three Lions
It proved interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck multiple times during the national team window even though the Brighton attacker reaches 35 next week. “Despite not having met him, I am aware what he can give me,” stated the England manager. “He can be a reserve for Harry [Kane] as a quite conventional striker position.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 England games in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck may be in the squad for the World Cup if he can maintain his scoring exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker has additional strikes than any other English footballer in England's top division this season with six and remains eager to add to that total as Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon crucial as creator and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided a degree of comfort to Fulham's uneven start. The left-sided player, who returned to his former side last year following five challenging years with Spurs, has become a consistent pick, driving down the left flank in the absence of the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker in the last term, has bagged once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period because of a surgical procedure. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists in the previous campaign. Fulham's upcoming four matches feature three among the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine goals this season so far. A threat emerges for the club that have developed a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
5. Time for Alexander Isak to produce for the Merseyside club
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they lost to a seventh defeat in ten matches. The coach's squad require a sustained recovery to force their way into the title race from their current spot, plus a significant boost in performance, and a chance presents itself as seven out of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures versus sides presently in the lower half in the standings. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to deliver a defeat on their own turf to the title holders in the last term, but it is not only Liverpool's performance against long balls and quick transitions that will be under the spotlight. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The big-money forward has not featured in domestic action over four weeks having sustained a groin injury during his second start in four days in continental competition win in Germany. Isak returned as a substitute in Sweden's loss by Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's inconsequential game versus Slovenia to secure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. A caution on Tuesday could have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
