Premier League: ten key points to look out for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker set for a fresh clash
A Manchester reunion may be on the cards when Burnley's Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The winger is finding his feet in west London following his off-season signing from the Red Devils and displayed his talents against Wolves prior to the international break. His setup for Pedro Neto combined electric speed and a flawless grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto required cutting inside before chipping a ball across the goalmouth. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of the pace with which situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? During the Argentine netted for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
Antoine Semenyo crucial to stopping Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full transfer speculation treatment following a reported £65m escape clause for a possible winter exit, the tabloids preparing him for graduation from the Premier League's middle class. That is to be expected from a attacker with six finishes plus three assists and remains pleasurable to watch. However, his team occupy an awkward spot, having undergone a form flip: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven-one over two games over their past two matches after an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss by Aston Villa however taking on a defensive unit that hasn't kept a clean sheet since August might be the best solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
3. Welbeck a surprise option for England
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the international break despite the fact that the Brighton striker turns 35 soon. “Even without having met him, I understand what he could provide,” stated the England coach. “He might act as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a quite orthodox No 9 role.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 England games several years ago, there is every chance that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup if he manages to continue his goalscoring feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts more goals over every other English performer in the top flight this term with six and will be anxious to increase that total as Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon needed as playmaker and scorer
Sessegnon's story has provided a degree of positivity to Fulham's inconsistent opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his former side recently after five challenging years with Spurs, is now a first-team fixture, driving down the left in the absence of the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he remains their leading marksman in the Premier League together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man last season, has bagged a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable until 2026 because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as a creator in place of Robinson, who provided ten setups last time round. Fulham's next four matches include three of the leading five plus Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine strikes in the Premier League to date. A threat emerges for a team that have developed a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for The striker to deliver for the Merseyside club
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they lost to loss number seven in 10 games. The manager's side require a consistent improvement to enter the championship chase from this position, along with a major improvement in form, and the possibility emerges as seven out of their following ten Premier League matches facing sides at the moment in the bottom ten of the table. The threat is evident from Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a defeat on their own turf on the champions the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's display versus long balls and fast breaks that is in focus. It is time for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The £125m striker has not played at club level over four weeks having sustained a groin problem during his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. He reappeared from the bench in the Swedish reverse to Switzerland but missed the subsequent dead rubber against Slovenia to ensure his availability for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A booking on Tuesday might have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
