Premier League: 10 things to watch for this round of fixtures
1. Garnacho and Walker ready for a fresh clash
A Mancunian rematch may be in the offing as the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger is adapting well in west London after his off-season signing from the Red Devils and displayed his talents in the Wolves match prior to the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed rapid acceleration and a ideal grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto required shifting infield prior to dinking a delivery to the back post. His celebration with Neto, replicating his earlier celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of how quickly things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the Argentine scored for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday half past twelve (all times GMT)
The winger key to stopping Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete rumour-mill treatment following a reported £65m escape clause for his possible January departure, the tabloids preparing him for graduation from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is to be expected from a wide player who has six finishes and three helpers who is joyous to watch. However, his side occupy an difficult spot, having undergone a form flip: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who come in on successive wins, while Bournemouth are down seven to one over two games in their last two matches following an strong opening to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss by Aston Villa but confronting a defensive unit lacking a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season might be the perfect solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
Danny Welbeck an outside option for the national team
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton striker reaches 35 soon. “Even without having met him, I am aware what he can provide,” said the England manager. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional striker position.” Gaining the final 42 England games in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be selected for the World Cup assuming he manages to continue his goal-getting exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker has additional strikes over every other English performer in the Premier League this season having six and will be keen to add to that count when Brighton host Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The full-back required as assist provider and goalscorer
Sessegnon's story has brought a measure of warmth to Fulham's bumpy opening. The left-sided player, who came back to his boyhood club recently after five difficult years with Spurs, has emerged as a first-team fixture, driving down the left with the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he's also their leading marksman in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker in the last term, has netted a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also being required to contribute as a creator replacing Robinson, who registered ten setups in the previous campaign. Fulham's next four fixtures include three among the best five and Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine goals in the league so far. Trouble awaits for the club that have earned a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
5. Time for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they fell to loss number seven in ten matches. The coach's side require a sustained recovery to enter the league contest from this position, along with a significant boost in performance, and the possibility arises with seven out of their next 10 top-flight fixtures against clubs presently in the bottom ten of the table. The risk is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a loss at Anfield to Liverpool last season, but it is not only Liverpool's performance versus aerial passes and counterattacks that remains under scrutiny. It is time that Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has not played for his club in a month after picking up a muscle issue while his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in continental competition triumph in Germany. The striker came back from the bench during Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's inconsequential game versus Slovenia to guarantee his readiness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A booking in that match could have ruled him out. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
