Premier division: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho ready for another battle
A Mancunian rematch may be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man is finding his feet in west London following his summer move from the Red Devils and demonstrated his abilities versus Wolverhampton prior to the national team interval. His assist for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace with a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right before dinking a delivery across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of the speed at which situations evolve. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the former scored for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (start times GMT)
The winger crucial to ending Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete rumour-mill attention due to a alleged £65m escape clause for his prospective mid-season move, the gossip columns preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. That is predictable from a wide player who has six finishes and three assists and is delightful to watch. Nonetheless, his side are in an tricky situation, having undergone a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who arrive with successive wins, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven-one combined in their last two games following an strong opening to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez during the four-nil loss by Aston Villa but taking on a defensive unit lacking a goalless game since August could be the perfect solution.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck a surprise choice for England
It seemed interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the international break despite the fact that the Brighton forward turns 35 next week. “Even without having met him, I understand what he is able to provide,” stated the England coach. “He can be a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a quite conventional centre-forward position.” Earning the final 42 international appearances several years ago, there is every chance that Welbeck may be in the squad to the World Cup if he manages to continue his scoring exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker has more goals over every other English footballer in the top flight this campaign having six and will be keen to add to that total when Brighton welcome Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3pm
The full-back required as creator and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a measure of warmth to Fulham's uneven start. The 25-year-old, who returned to his youth team recently after five tough years in north London, is now a consistent pick, driving down the left with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The worry? Having scored twice, he is their leading marksman this season alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their primary attacker last season, has scored one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out for the long term because of a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as a creator replacing Robinson, who supplied ten setups in the previous campaign. Fulham's following four fixtures take in three from the best five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded only nine strikes this season to date. A threat emerges for the club that have built a standing for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The moment for Alexander Isak to produce for Liverpool
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's deficiencies in that game as they fell to loss number seven in 10 games. The manager's squad must have a sustained recovery to muscle into the championship chase from here, as well as a dramatic improvement in form, and a chance arises as seven of their following ten Premier League matches facing clubs currently in the bottom half in the league. The danger is evident from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to hand a loss at Anfield to Liverpool last season, but it is not only Liverpool's display against aerial passes and fast breaks that is under the spotlight. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The expensive signing has been absent at club level for a month having sustained a groin problem while his second start in four days in Europe triumph abroad. The striker came back as a substitute in Sweden's defeat against Switzerland but missed the subsequent dead rubber against Slovenia to guarantee his readiness for the World Cup knockout rounds. A booking on Tuesday would have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient