Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker set for another encounter
A Manchester reunion could be in the offing when Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is adapting well with Chelsea after his summer move from Manchester United and demonstrated his talents versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto combined electric speed and a ideal low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside before dinking a delivery toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, replicating his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the speed at which circumstances change. The most recent instance Garnacho faced Walker? When the former netted for United in their cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)
2. Semenyo vital to ending Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete rumour-mill attention due to a reported £65m release clause for a potential mid-season move, the tabloids preparing him for advancement out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. That is understandable from a attacker who has a half-dozen strikes and three helpers and remains joyous to watch. However, Bournemouth occupy an difficult situation, having engaged in a body swap: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one on aggregate over their previous two fixtures following an promising opening to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa but confronting a backline that hasn't kept a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season might be the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3pm
The striker a left-field shout for England
It was intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Even without being familiar with him, I know what he can provide,” stated the England coach. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a very conventional striker position.” Gaining the last of his 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goal-getting feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim a greater tally than any other English footballer in the top flight this campaign on six and will be anxious to add to that total as Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon needed as playmaker and goalscorer
Sessegnon's story has offered some positivity to Fulham's bumpy start. The former Tottenham man, who returned to his youth team last year following five tough years with Spurs, is now a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? Having scored twice, he's also their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker the previous campaign, has scored once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period owing to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also being required to contribute as a creator replacing Robinson, who registered 10 assists last season. Fulham's next four fixtures feature three from the top five and Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine strikes in the league this season. Danger looms for a side that have developed a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The moment for Isak to produce for Liverpool
The debate surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they lost to a seventh defeat in ten matches. The manager's squad require a consistent improvement to enter the league contest from their current spot, plus a dramatic boost in performance, and the possibility emerges as seven of their next 10 Premier League matches against teams currently in the bottom ten of the table. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a loss at Anfield on the champions the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's performance versus aerial passes and quick transitions that remains under the spotlight. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The big-money forward has been absent at club level for a month after picking up a muscle issue when making his second start over a short period in continental competition win in Germany. The striker came back from the bench in Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but missed the midweek meaningless match versus Slovenia to guarantee his readiness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A booking on Tuesday could have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
