Premier division: ten key points to look out for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker poised for another clash
A Mancunian rematch may be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is finding his feet in west London following his close-season transfer from the Red Devils and demonstrated his skills against Wolves prior to the international break. His setup for Pedro Neto blended electric speed and a ideal grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield before dinking a ball toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, replicating his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the speed at which things transform. The last time Garnacho took on Walker? During the youngster netted for United in their cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday half past twelve (all times GMT)
The winger crucial to halting Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete transfer speculation attention following a claimed £65m escape clause for a potential winter exit, the media preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. It is predictable from a wide player who has six goals and three assists who is pleasurable to watch. Still, his team are in an awkward situation, having undergone a role reversal: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who arrive with back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one over two games over their previous two matches after an promising start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa however facing a defensive unit without a goalless game for months could be the best solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
3. Welbeck a surprise option for the Three Lions
It proved interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the international break even though the Brighton striker celebrates 35 next week. “Even without being familiar with him, I know what he is able to offer me,” commented the England coach. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a very orthodox centre-forward position.” Having won the final 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be in the squad for the World Cup if he is able to maintain his scoring performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts additional strikes than any other English player in England's top division this campaign with six and remains eager to add to that count when Brighton entertain Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon required as creator and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided a degree of positivity to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The former Tottenham man, who rejoined his former side in 2024 after five challenging years in north London, is now a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left with the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? On two goals, he is their leading marksman in the Premier League alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their primary attacker last season, has scored one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who provided ten setups last season. The Cottagers' upcoming four fixtures take in three among the leading five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine scores in the Premier League so far. A threat emerges for the club that have built a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
The moment for Isak to perform for the Reds
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they fell to a seventh defeat in ten matches. The manager's team must have a consistent improvement to force their way into the championship chase from their current spot, along with a dramatic improvement in form, and a chance emerges as seven out of their upcoming ten Premier League matches against sides currently in the bottom ten of the table. The threat is obvious from Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a defeat on their own turf on the champions in the last term, however it's not just Liverpool's display against long balls and counterattacks that will be under scrutiny. It is time that Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The £125m striker has not featured at club level for a month having sustained a groin injury during his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in the Champions League triumph in Germany. The striker came back from the bench during Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but missed the subsequent meaningless match with Slovenia to ensure his readiness for the World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card in that match would have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
