Premier League: 10 things to keep an eye on this round of fixtures
Garnacho versus Walker set for a fresh clash
Another northwest showdown could be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The wide man is adapting well in west London after his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and demonstrated his abilities in the Wolves match before the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto combined electric speed with a ideal grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside prior to chipping a delivery toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his prior celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of how quickly circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the Argentine netted for United in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to ending Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the full transfer speculation focus amid a alleged £65m escape clause for his possible January departure, the media preparing him for advancement from the Premier League's middle class. That is to be expected for a wide player with six finishes and three setups who is delightful to watch. However, Bournemouth find themselves in an tricky situation, experiencing a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost seven-one over two games over their previous two fixtures following an strong start to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the four-nil loss by Aston Villa however facing a defence that hasn't kept a shutout since August could be the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck a left-field option for the national team
It was intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the national team window although the Brighton forward celebrates 35 next week. “Despite not having met him, I am aware what he can give me,” commented the England coach. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] as a quite orthodox centre-forward role.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 caps in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck could be on the plane for the World Cup if he manages to sustain his scoring feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward has additional strikes compared to any English player in England's top division this campaign having six and remains keen to add to that count when Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon required as assist provider and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has offered some positivity to Fulham's inconsistent beginning. The former Tottenham man, who came back to his youth team recently following five challenging years in north London, has become a consistent pick, driving down the left due to the injury of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The worry? With 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 unavailable for the long term owing to a hamstring operation. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver in a creative role instead of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last time round. Fulham's following four matches feature three from the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine scores this season to date. 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 Alexander Isak to deliver for the Merseyside club
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they lost to loss number seven in 10 games. Arne Slot's team need a prolonged upturn to enter the title race from this position, as well as a major upturn in results, and a chance emerges with seven of their next 10 Premier League matches against clubs at the moment in the bottom half in the standings. The threat is evident from Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a home league defeat to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's performance when facing aerial passes and quick transitions that remains under scrutiny. It is time that Alexander Isak to perform in a Liverpool shirt. The £125m striker has not played at club level over four weeks after picking up a groin injury while his second appearance in the lineup in quick succession in continental competition victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned off the bench in the Swedish reverse by Switzerland but sat out the midweek meaningless match versus Slovenia to ensure his fitness for the World Cup knockout rounds. A caution on Tuesday would have suspended him. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
