English top flight: ten key points to watch for this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker poised for another clash
A Manchester reunion could be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The wide man is finding his feet in west London following his close-season transfer from Manchester United and displayed his abilities in the Wolves match before the national team interval. His assist for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration with a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside prior to lofting a cross toward the far post. His goal reaction with Neto, echoing his prior hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the speed at which situations evolve. The last time Garnacho took on Walker? When the Argentine found the net for United in the Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)
The winger vital to ending Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire gossip column focus following a reported £65m release clause for his possible January departure, the tabloids setting him up for advancement out of the Premier League's average tier. It is understandable from a winger with a half-dozen strikes and three setups and remains delightful to watch. Nonetheless, Bournemouth find themselves in an difficult situation, having engaged in a role reversal: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one over two games in their last two matches after an strong opening to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa however confronting a defence lacking a shutout for months could be the perfect solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The striker a left-field choice for England
It proved interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton striker turns 35 soon. “Despite not knowing him, I understand what he could offer me,” stated the England manager. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a quite conventional No 9 position.” Earning the last of his 42 international appearances back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be in the squad for the World Cup assuming he is able to sustain his goal-getting feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker has more goals than any other English player in the Premier League this campaign on six and is anxious to boost that tally when Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon needed as playmaker and scorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided a degree of positivity to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The left-sided player, who rejoined his youth team last year after five challenging years in north London, has become a regular starter, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer this season alongside Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker the previous campaign, has netted once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon must also having to step up as a creator instead of Robinson, who provided 10 assists last season. Fulham's upcoming four games take in three of the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine goals this season this season. A threat emerges for a side that have developed a name for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
5. Time for Isak to produce for the Reds
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal against Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they fell to a seventh defeat in 10 games. The manager's side require a sustained recovery to force their way into the championship chase from their current spot, plus a major improvement in form, and opportunity arises with seven from their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures versus teams at the moment in the bottom half in the standings. The risk is clear from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to hand a loss at Anfield to Liverpool the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance versus long balls and counterattacks that remains in focus. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The £125m striker has not featured at club level in a month having sustained a groin problem when making his second start in four days in continental competition win in Germany. He reappeared off the bench in the Swedish loss to Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's dead rubber with Slovenia to secure his readiness for the World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card on Tuesday might have suspended him. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
