Premier League: ten highlights to watch for this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker set for a fresh clash
Another northwest showdown could be in the offing when the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is adapting well in west London after his close-season transfer from the Red Devils and demonstrated his talents in the Wolves match before the national team interval. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed with a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto required moving onto his right before dinking a cross toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, echoing his prior celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the pace with which circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? During the youngster scored for United during their Wembley triumph over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to halting Cherries' decline
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the complete gossip column treatment amid a reported £65m release clause for his possible winter exit, the media positioning him for promotion out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. That is understandable from a attacker who has six goals plus three setups and is delightful to watch. Still, his side are in an awkward spot, having undergone a form flip: it is the struggling side West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth are down seven-one on aggregate over their previous two fixtures after an strong start to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their heavy loss by Aston Villa but facing a defence that hasn't kept a clean sheet since August may prove the perfect remedy.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Danny Welbeck an outside shout for the national team
It seemed intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck multiple times during the fixture pause even though the Brighton attacker turns 35 in the coming days. “Without even being familiar with him, I understand what he could give me,” commented the England coach. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a very conventional centre-forward role.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 caps back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck may be on the plane to the World Cup assuming he can sustain his scoring exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal striker can claim a greater tally than any other English performer in England's top division this season having six and is keen to increase that tally as Brighton entertain Brentford this weekend.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The full-back required as assist provider and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered a degree of warmth to Fulham's inconsistent opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his youth team last year after five difficult years at Tottenham, has emerged as a consistent pick, driving down the left flank in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? Having scored twice, he remains their top goalscorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man last season, has scored once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term owing to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as a creator in place of Robinson, who supplied ten setups in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' following four matches take in three of the leading five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine scores in the league to date. Trouble awaits for a team that have earned a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for The striker to produce for the Reds
The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they fell to their seventh loss in ten matches. The manager's side need a sustained recovery to force their way into the championship chase from their current spot, along with a major upturn in results, and a chance presents itself as seven from their following ten Premier League matches against clubs presently in the bottom ten in the league. The risk is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a loss at Anfield to the title holders last season, however it's not just Liverpool's performance when facing long balls and fast breaks that will be under the spotlight. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver wearing red. The expensive signing has been absent in domestic action in a month after picking up a groin problem while his second consecutive start over a short period in the Champions League victory in Germany. He reappeared as a substitute during Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but was rested the subsequent inconsequential game versus Slovenia to ensure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A caution during the game would have suspended him. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
