Premier division: ten highlights to keep an eye on this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a fresh battle
A Mancunian rematch could be in store when Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The wide man is finding his feet in west London after his off-season signing from Manchester United and displayed his skills against Wolves prior to the international break. His setup for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a flawless low cross. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside prior to dinking a ball across the goalmouth. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the speed at which things transform. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? When the youngster scored for United during their Wembley triumph over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo crucial to stopping Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire rumour-mill focus amid a claimed £65m release clause for a potential January departure, the media setting him up for advancement from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. It is to be expected for a attacker who has a half-dozen strikes and three assists and remains joyous to watch. Still, Bournemouth find themselves in an difficult spot, experiencing a body swap: now it's the struggling side West Ham who enter with consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth are down 7-1 over two games over their last two games following an promising beginning to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the spot by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss to Aston Villa but facing a backline that hasn't kept a goalless game in the league since the start of the season could be the ideal tonic.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
3. Welbeck an outside shout for the Three Lions
It was intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the fixture pause even though the Brighton striker reaches 35 soon. “Without even being familiar with him, I know what he can provide,” said the England boss. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a very traditional centre-forward role.” Having won the final 42 caps several years ago, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be in the squad for the World Cup if he manages to maintain his goalscoring exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim additional strikes compared to any English footballer in the Premier League this campaign having six and is keen to increase that tally as Brighton welcome Brentford this weekend.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
4. Sessegnon required as creator and scorer
Sessegnon's story has provided some warmth to Fulham's inconsistent beginning. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his boyhood club last year after five difficult years with Spurs, has become a regular starter, driving down the left due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he's also their top goalscorer this season as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has netted once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured until 2026 because of a surgical procedure. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who registered ten setups in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' next four matches include three of the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed only nine scores this season so far. A threat emerges for a team that have developed a reputation for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The moment for The striker to deliver for Liverpool
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they lost to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's team require a prolonged upturn to enter the league contest from here, as well as a significant upturn in results, and opportunity presents itself as seven from their next 10 Premier League matches versus clubs presently in the bottom half in the league. The danger is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a defeat on their own turf to the title holders last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance versus long balls and quick transitions that remains under scrutiny. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not featured for his club over four weeks after picking up a groin problem while his second consecutive start over a short period in continental competition triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned as a substitute in Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but was rested Tuesday's inconsequential game against Slovenia to ensure his availability for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card on Tuesday could have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
