English top flight: 10 things to keep an eye on this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho poised for another encounter
Another northwest showdown may be on the cards when the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The winger is finding his feet with Chelsea after his summer move from the Red Devils and demonstrated his skills versus Wolverhampton before the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration and a ideal grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto required cutting inside prior to lofting a delivery toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of the speed at which situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho faced Walker? When the Argentine scored for United in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo crucial to ending Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire rumour-mill focus amid a reported £65m buyout clause for his potential winter exit, the media positioning him for advancement out of the Premier League's average tier. This is predictable for a wide player with six goals and three assists who is joyous to watch. However, Bournemouth find themselves in an tricky situation, having engaged in a role reversal: now it's the struggling side West Ham who come in with successive wins, whereas Bournemouth have been beaten seven-one combined in their past two fixtures after an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the four-nil loss to Aston Villa yet confronting a defensive unit lacking a clean sheet for months might be the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
The striker a left-field choice for England
It proved interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton attacker turns 35 next week. “Without even being familiar with him, I am aware what he could give me,” commented the England manager. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a very traditional striker position.” Having won the final 42 England games back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck could be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he can sustain his goal-getting feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts more goals over every other English footballer in England's top division this term with six and remains eager to add to that count as Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The full-back required as playmaker and finisher
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided a degree of warmth to Fulham's uneven start. The left-sided player, who rejoined his former side last year after five difficult years in north London, is now a regular starter, pushing forward on the left side with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The worry? With two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the Premier League together with Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their top scorer last season, has scored one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term due to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as a creator replacing Robinson, who registered ten setups last season. The Cottagers' upcoming four fixtures take in three of the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine goals this season so far. A threat emerges for the club that have earned a standing for mid-table stability.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
5. Time for Isak to deliver for the Merseyside club
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they succumbed to loss number seven in 10 games. The manager's team need a sustained recovery to enter the title race from their current spot, along with a dramatic boost in performance, and a chance emerges with seven out of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures versus sides presently in the bottom ten of the table. The risk is obvious from Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool in the last term, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing when facing aerial passes and fast breaks that is under scrutiny. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The big-money forward has been absent at club level in a month having sustained a groin problem when making his second appearance in the lineup in four days in continental competition victory abroad. He reappeared from the bench in the Swedish defeat by Switzerland but missed the midweek dead rubber versus Slovenia to ensure his availability for the World Cup knockout rounds. A caution in that match would have ruled him out. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
