English top flight: ten key points to keep an eye on this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker set for a fresh encounter
A Mancunian rematch might be in the offing as the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The attacker is adapting well in west London following his off-season signing from Old Trafford and displayed his abilities in the Wolves match prior to the national team interval. His key pass for Pedro Neto mixed rapid acceleration and a perfect low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right prior to lofting a ball toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, replicating his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of the pace with which situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho encountered Walker? During the former scored for United during their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (start times GMT)
The winger key to ending Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the entire transfer speculation focus amid a claimed £65m escape clause for his potential January departure, the media positioning him for advancement from the Premier League's average tier. This is to be expected from a attacker who has a half-dozen strikes and three setups and is delightful to watch. Nonetheless, Bournemouth occupy an tricky spot, having engaged in a role reversal: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who come in with consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven to one combined in their past two matches after an impressive opening to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the spot by Emi Martínez in their heavy loss to Aston Villa however taking on a defensive unit lacking a shutout in the league since the start of the season could be the perfect solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
The striker a surprise shout for England
It was notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the international break although the Brighton striker reaches 35 soon. “Without even being familiar with him, I understand what he is able to offer me,” stated the England coach. “He might act as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a very traditional striker position.” Having won the most recent of his 42 England games in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be on the plane to the World Cup provided he is able to continue his goal-getting performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim a greater tally compared to any English performer in the Premier League this term with six and will be eager to increase that total as Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon needed as playmaker and goalscorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a measure of warmth to Fulham's uneven start. The left-sided player, who rejoined his youth team recently following five tough years at Tottenham, has become a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left due to the injury of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer this season together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man in the last term, has netted a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term due to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon is also being required to contribute in a creative role replacing Robinson, who provided 10 assists in the previous campaign. Fulham's upcoming four games feature three from the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine strikes in the Premier League this season. Danger looms for the club that have built a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for Isak to produce for the Reds
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they succumbed to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The manager's squad need a consistent improvement to enter the title race from here, plus a major boost in performance, and the possibility emerges with seven of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures against clubs presently in the bottom half in the league. The danger is clear from Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a defeat on their own turf on the champions in the last term, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance versus aerial passes and fast breaks that will be under the spotlight. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not featured for his club in a month having sustained a groin problem when making his second consecutive start in four days in continental competition victory abroad. Isak returned as a substitute in the Swedish defeat against Switzerland but missed Tuesday's dead rubber with Slovenia to secure his availability for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A booking in that match could have ruled him out. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
