English top flight: ten key points to watch for this round of fixtures
1. Garnacho and Walker ready for a fresh encounter
Another northwest showdown may be on the cards when the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker has started to settle with Chelsea following his summer move from Old Trafford and displayed his skills in the Wolves match prior to the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace with a flawless grounded ball. His contribution for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right prior to chipping a cross across the goalmouth. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a testament of the pace with which situations evolve. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? When the Argentine found the net for United in their Wembley triumph over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
2. Semenyo crucial to stopping Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the full rumour-mill focus due to a claimed £65m buyout clause for his possible January departure, the tabloids positioning him for advancement from the Premier League's middle class. It is predictable from a wide player with six finishes and three setups who is delightful to watch. Still, his team are in an tricky position, having undergone a form flip: now it's the struggling side West Ham who enter with successive wins, while Bournemouth are down seven-one on aggregate over their last two matches following an strong opening to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in their four-nil loss to Aston Villa but confronting a defensive unit without a shutout in the league since the start of the season may prove the perfect remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday 3pm
Danny Welbeck an outside option for the national team
It seemed notable to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton striker celebrates 35 in the coming days. “Despite not having met him, I understand what he could offer me,” said the England boss. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a very traditional No 9 position.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he is able to sustain his goalscoring performances. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts a greater tally over every other English performer in the Premier League this term with six and is anxious to increase that total when Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
4. Sessegnon needed as playmaker and scorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought a measure of warmth to Fulham's inconsistent opening. The former Tottenham man, who came back to his boyhood club last year following five difficult years in north London, is now a regular starter, driving down the left side with the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he's also their leading marksman in the league together with Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their top scorer last season, has scored once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is out for an extended period owing to hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon being required to contribute as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last season. Fulham's following four fixtures feature three of the top five and Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine goals in the Premier League this season. Trouble awaits for a side that have developed a name for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
The moment for Isak to produce for the Merseyside club
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they fell to their seventh loss in 10 games. The coach's squad need a sustained recovery to enter the title race from here, along with a dramatic boost in performance, and opportunity presents itself with seven from their upcoming ten league games versus clubs currently in the bottom ten in the league. The risk is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a loss at Anfield to Liverpool last season, however it's not just Liverpool's display when facing direct play and quick transitions that is under the spotlight. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The £125m striker has not played for his club in a month after picking up a groin injury when making his second consecutive start in quick succession in the Champions League win abroad. The striker came back as a substitute in the Swedish reverse against Switzerland but missed Tuesday's meaningless match versus Slovenia to ensure his readiness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card during the game could have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
