English top flight: ten key points to watch for this round of fixtures
1. Garnacho and Walker ready for another encounter
A Manchester reunion might be in store when the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The attacker is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge after his summer move from the Red Devils and demonstrated his skills against Wolves before the national team interval. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed rapid acceleration with a ideal grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right before lofting a ball toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, echoing his previous embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of how quickly circumstances change. The most recent instance Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the former found the net for United in the Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo crucial to stopping Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the entire transfer speculation treatment following a alleged £65m release clause for his potential mid-season move, the tabloids positioning him for advancement from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. It is understandable from a winger with six finishes plus three assists and is joyous to watch. Nonetheless, his team occupy an awkward position, having engaged in a body swap: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth have lost seven to one combined over their past two fixtures after an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss to Aston Villa yet facing a defensive unit lacking a shutout for months may prove the perfect remedy.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
The striker a surprise choice for the Three Lions
It proved interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the international break despite the fact that the Brighton forward turns 35 in the coming days. “Without even having met him, I understand what he can provide,” commented the England boss. “He might act as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a very orthodox striker position.” Gaining the last of his 42 international appearances in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck could be selected for the World Cup if he is able to continue his goalscoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim additional strikes than any other English player in the Premier League this campaign with six and remains eager to add to that count when Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday 3pm
4. Sessegnon crucial as assist provider and finisher
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought some positivity to Fulham's bumpy opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his boyhood club recently after five challenging years in north London, is now a first-team fixture, driving down the left side with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The issue? With two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man last season, has scored a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period owing to a hamstring operation. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver as a creator instead of Robinson, who registered 10 assists in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' following four fixtures include three among the best five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine strikes this season to date. Danger looms for the club that have earned a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
5. Time for Isak to perform for the Reds
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they lost to their seventh loss in ten matches. Arne Slot's side must have a prolonged upturn to enter the title race from this position, along with a dramatic improvement in form, and the possibility presents itself with seven out of their following ten Premier League matches facing sides presently in the bottom ten in the standings. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to hand a loss at Anfield to the title holders the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's performance versus long balls and quick transitions that remains in focus. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The £125m striker has not played in domestic action for a month having sustained a muscle issue during his second consecutive start in quick succession in the Champions League victory in Germany. He reappeared as a substitute in Sweden's reverse by Switzerland but sat out the subsequent dead rubber with Slovenia to secure his fitness for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A booking in that match might have suspended him. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
