Premier League: ten key points to watch for this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho poised for another encounter
A Manchester reunion may be in store as Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger has started to settle with Chelsea following his close-season transfer from Manchester United and demonstrated his talents in the Wolves match prior to the fixture pause. His key pass for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right prior to dinking a cross toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a reminder of how quickly situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? When the youngster found the net for United during their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)
2. Semenyo key to halting Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the full gossip column treatment amid a alleged £65m buyout clause for a potential mid-season move, the gossip columns positioning him for promotion from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. It is understandable for a winger with a half-dozen strikes plus three helpers who is delightful to watch. However, his team find themselves in an tricky situation, having engaged in a role reversal: it is the struggling side West Ham who arrive with successive wins, while Bournemouth have lost seven to one combined over their past two fixtures following an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss by Aston Villa yet facing a backline lacking a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season might be the ideal solution.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
3. Welbeck a left-field shout for England
It seemed notable to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the international break although the Brighton attacker celebrates 35 next week. “Without even being familiar with him, I know what he could give me,” said the England manager. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a quite orthodox striker position.” Having won the most recent of his 42 international appearances several years ago, there is every chance that Welbeck could be on the plane to the World Cup if he can continue his goal-getting performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim a greater tally than any other English footballer in the Premier League this term with six and will be keen to increase that count when Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon required as creator and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered a measure of positivity to Fulham's inconsistent opening. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his youth team recently after five challenging years at Tottenham, is now a regular starter, operating on the left flank due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he's also their leading marksman in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their top scorer in the last term, has bagged once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term due to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who supplied ten helpers in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' upcoming four matches include three from the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine strikes in the league so far. A threat emerges for the club that have earned a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for The striker to deliver for Liverpool
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they lost to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The manager's side need a consistent improvement to force their way into the title race from here, along with a major boost in performance, and opportunity arises as seven of their following ten Premier League matches against sides presently in the bottom ten in the standings. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a loss at Anfield to Liverpool last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's display versus long balls and counterattacks that will be under scrutiny. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to deliver wearing red. The big-money forward has not featured for his club for a month following a muscle issue during his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in Europe victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned as a substitute in the Swedish defeat against Switzerland but missed Tuesday's meaningless match versus Slovenia to secure his availability for the World Cup playoffs. A caution during the game would have ruled him out. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
