Premier division: ten highlights to watch for this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho ready for another encounter
A Manchester reunion might be on the cards when Burnley's Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is finding his feet with Chelsea following his off-season signing from Manchester United and displayed his talents versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto mixed rapid acceleration and a ideal grounded ball. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield before dinking a ball across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, replicating his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a testament of how quickly situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the youngster found the net for United in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
The winger vital to stopping Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the entire gossip column treatment following a alleged £65m buyout clause for his prospective winter exit, the media preparing him for advancement out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is predictable for a wide player who has six goals and three setups and is delightful to watch. Still, Bournemouth find themselves in an difficult position, experiencing a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one combined in their past two matches following an strong opening to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss to Aston Villa but confronting a defence without a goalless game since August might be the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
3. Welbeck a surprise option for the national team
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the international break even though the Brighton attacker turns 35 next week. “Even without knowing him, I understand what he can give me,” commented the England boss. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a very traditional striker position.” Earning the final 42 England games back in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck could be in the squad for the World Cup provided he manages to maintain his goalscoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts more goals than any other English footballer in the Premier League this term with six and is eager to boost that total when Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon required as assist provider and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered a degree of comfort to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The left-sided player, who came back to his boyhood club recently after five challenging years at Tottenham, is now a regular starter, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The issue? On two goals, he is their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker last season, has netted a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term owing to a hamstring operation. Additionally, Sessegnon being required to contribute in a creative role replacing Robinson, who provided ten helpers in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' upcoming four matches feature three among the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine scores in the league to date. A threat emerges for a side that have developed a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for Alexander Isak to deliver for the Merseyside club
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they succumbed to their seventh loss in ten matches. The coach's squad need a sustained recovery to enter the title race from this position, plus a significant upturn in results, and a chance emerges with seven of their next 10 league games versus sides currently in the bottom ten in the league. The danger is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a home league defeat to the title holders the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's display against direct play and fast breaks that remains in focus. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not played for his club for a month having sustained a muscle issue while his second start in four days in the Champions League triumph abroad. Isak returned as a substitute in Sweden's reverse by Switzerland but missed the subsequent meaningless match against Slovenia to guarantee his readiness for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A caution in that match could have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
