Premier division: ten key points to keep an eye on this round of fixtures
1. Garnacho and Walker poised for a fresh encounter
A Manchester reunion might be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is finding his feet with Chelsea following his summer move from Old Trafford and showcased his abilities against Wolves before the fixture pause. His key pass for Pedro Neto mixed rapid acceleration and a perfect grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto required moving onto his right prior to dinking a cross across the goalmouth. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of the speed at which things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? During the youngster found the net for United during their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo crucial to stopping Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire transfer speculation treatment amid a alleged £65m buyout clause for his possible January departure, the media setting him up for graduation from the Premier League's middle class. It is to be expected for a wide player who has six goals and three setups and remains joyous to watch. Still, his side occupy an awkward position, having undergone a form flip: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 on aggregate in their past two fixtures after an strong opening to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss by Aston Villa yet taking on a defence without a clean sheet for months may prove the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
3. Welbeck a left-field choice for England
It seemed interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the international break although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Without even having met him, I understand what he could offer me,” stated the England coach. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a very conventional striker role.” Gaining the last of his 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be on the plane for the World Cup assuming he can maintain his goal-getting feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward has a greater tally over every other English performer in England's top division this term on six and is anxious to add to that count when Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon crucial as creator and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a degree of warmth to Fulham's inconsistent start. The 25-year-old, who came back to his youth team in 2024 following five challenging years with Spurs, is now a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he remains their top goalscorer in the league alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has scored one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is out for the long term due to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver in a creative role replacing Robinson, who registered 10 assists in the previous campaign. Fulham's next four games take in three from the best five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine goals this season so far. A threat emerges for the club that have developed a reputation for mid-table stability.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The occasion for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority on the day as they fell to their seventh loss in ten matches. The coach's team require a prolonged upturn to enter the championship chase from here, plus a significant improvement in form, and a chance emerges as seven from their following ten top-flight fixtures against teams at the moment in the lower half of the table. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a home league defeat to Liverpool in the last term, but it is not only Liverpool's showing against long balls and fast breaks that is under the spotlight. It is time that Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The big-money forward has been absent in domestic action over four weeks having sustained a groin injury while his second start in four days in continental competition triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back as a substitute in Sweden's loss to Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's inconsequential game against Slovenia to secure his availability for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A yellow card on Tuesday would have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
