Premier division: 10 things to look out for this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker set for another battle
A Mancunian rematch may be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge following his close-season transfer from the Red Devils and showcased his skills in the Wolves match prior to the fixture pause. His key pass for Pedro Neto blended electric speed and a perfect low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield before lofting a ball to the back post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of how quickly things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho encountered Walker? When the former found the net for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)
2. Semenyo key to halting Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full transfer speculation treatment following a claimed £65m release clause for his prospective January departure, the media positioning him for graduation from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is predictable from a wide player with six goals plus three setups and remains delightful to watch. However, Bournemouth find themselves in an difficult spot, experiencing a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on successive wins, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven-one over two games over their last two matches after an promising start to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa however facing a defensive unit that hasn't kept a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season may prove the best solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
3. Welbeck an outside shout for the Three Lions
It was intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the fixture pause although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 next week. “Without even being familiar with him, I know what he is able to provide,” said the England coach. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a quite conventional No 9 position.” Gaining the final 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck may be on the plane to the World Cup assuming he can continue his scoring exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward has additional strikes over every other English player in the top flight this term with six and will be eager to increase that tally as Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon needed as creator and finisher
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided some warmth to Fulham's uneven opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his boyhood club recently following five challenging years at Tottenham, is now a first-team fixture, driving down the left side due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer in the Premier League together with Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker last season, has scored one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also being required to contribute as an assist provider replacing Robinson, who supplied ten helpers in the previous campaign. Fulham's following four games feature three among the leading five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine strikes in the league to date. Trouble awaits for a side that have earned a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The occasion for The striker to deliver for Liverpool
The dispute regarding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's inferiority during the match as they lost to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. The manager's team need a consistent improvement to enter the league contest from their current spot, along with a major upturn in results, and a chance arises with seven out of their following ten league games against teams currently in the bottom ten of the table. The risk is clear from Nottingham Forest, the only team to deliver a loss at Anfield to the title holders in the last term, but it is not only Liverpool's display versus direct play and quick transitions that will be in focus. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The big-money forward has been absent in domestic action in a month following a groin injury when making his second start in four days in the Champions League triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned as a substitute in Sweden's defeat by Switzerland but was rested the midweek meaningless match against Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A caution in that match might have ruled him out. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
