Premier League: ten highlights to look out for this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho ready for a new battle
A Manchester reunion may be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger is adapting well with Chelsea after his summer move from the Red Devils and showcased his abilities versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield prior to chipping a cross to the back post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of how quickly situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? When the youngster found the net for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to ending Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the entire gossip column treatment amid a claimed £65m release clause for his possible mid-season move, the tabloids positioning him for promotion from the Premier League's middle class. This is to be expected from a attacker with a half-dozen strikes and three setups and is delightful to watch. However, his side find themselves in an tricky position, having undergone a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who come in on back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost 7-1 on aggregate in their previous two fixtures following an promising beginning to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the spot by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa yet confronting a backline lacking a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season could be the perfect solution.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
3. Welbeck an outside shout for England
It was intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the fixture pause although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Despite not being familiar with him, I understand what he is able to give me,” stated the England coach. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a very traditional No 9 role.” Gaining the last of his 42 caps in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck may be on the plane to the World Cup provided he manages to sustain his goal-getting exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim more goals over every other English footballer in the Premier League this campaign with six and will be keen to boost that total as Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon required as assist provider and finisher
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought a degree of positivity to Fulham's bumpy opening. The former Tottenham man, who returned to his boyhood club recently following five tough years at Tottenham, has emerged as a consistent pick, driving down the left flank with the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? On two goals, he remains their leading marksman in the league together with Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their primary attacker last season, has netted a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable until 2026 due to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also being required to contribute in a creative role replacing Robinson, who provided ten setups last season. The Cottagers' next four fixtures include three of the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine strikes in the Premier League so far. Danger looms for a team that have developed a reputation for consistency in the middle.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The moment for Alexander Isak to perform for the Reds
The debate about Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they fell to a seventh defeat in 10 games. Arne Slot's side require a consistent improvement to muscle into the title race from here, plus a significant boost in performance, and the possibility emerges with seven from their upcoming ten league games versus clubs presently in the bottom half in the league. The threat is clear from Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a loss at Anfield on the champions the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's display against aerial passes and counterattacks that is in focus. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The expensive signing has not featured in domestic action for a month having sustained a groin problem while his second consecutive start over a short period in Europe triumph abroad. The striker came back off the bench in the Swedish reverse against Switzerland but missed Tuesday's inconsequential game against Slovenia to guarantee his readiness for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A yellow card during the game might have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
