Premier division: ten highlights to watch for this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker poised for a new encounter
A Mancunian rematch could be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is adapting well with Chelsea following his off-season signing from Manchester United and displayed his abilities against Wolves prior to the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed and a perfect low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield prior to lofting a delivery toward the far post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his earlier celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a testament of the pace with which circumstances change. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? When the youngster scored for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
The winger vital to stopping Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire gossip column treatment following a alleged £65m buyout clause for his prospective mid-season move, the tabloids positioning him for promotion from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. That is to be expected for a wide player with six goals plus three helpers and remains pleasurable to watch. However, his team find themselves in an tricky situation, having engaged in a form flip: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter on consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth have lost 7-1 on aggregate in their past two matches after an strong beginning to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss by Aston Villa however taking on a defensive unit that hasn't kept a clean sheet since August might be the best tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
3. Welbeck a left-field shout for the national team
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the international break although the Brighton striker celebrates 35 in the coming days. “Despite not being familiar with him, I know what he could offer me,” commented the England boss. “He can be a reserve for Harry [Kane] playing a quite conventional striker role.” Earning the most recent of his 42 caps in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be selected to the World Cup if he manages to maintain his scoring exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker has additional strikes over every other English performer in England's top division this season having six and is eager to add to that total when Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon crucial as playmaker and finisher
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought some comfort to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The former Tottenham man, who came back to his former side recently following five challenging years in north London, has become a first-team fixture, operating on the left due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The issue? On two goals, he is their top goalscorer this season alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man in the last term, has netted once while Rodrigo Muniz is out for an extended period because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also having to step up as a creator instead of Robinson, who supplied ten setups last time round. The Cottagers' upcoming four matches take in three from the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine goals in the Premier League to date. A threat emerges for the club that have earned a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for Alexander Isak to deliver for the Merseyside club
The debate about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they fell to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. The manager's squad must have a sustained recovery to force their way into the title race from this position, plus a significant boost in performance, and opportunity emerges with seven of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures facing teams at the moment in the bottom ten in the standings. The threat is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a defeat on their own turf to the title holders last season, but it is not only Liverpool's display versus aerial passes and counterattacks that remains in focus. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to show up for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not played for his club over four weeks having sustained a groin problem while his second consecutive start over a short period in the Champions League win abroad. Isak returned off the bench in the Swedish loss by Switzerland but missed the midweek meaningless match against Slovenia to ensure his readiness for the World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card in that match might have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient