Premier division: ten highlights to keep an eye on this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho set for a new battle
Another northwest showdown may be in store when the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The winger has started to settle at Stamford Bridge after his close-season transfer from Manchester United and showcased his talents in the Wolves match before the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto blended rapid acceleration with a flawless along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto required moving onto his right before dinking a delivery across the goalmouth. His joyous moment with Neto, replicating his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a indication of the speed at which circumstances change. The most recent instance Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the former netted for United during their Wembley triumph over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (start times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo crucial to stopping Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire transfer speculation focus amid a alleged £65m release clause for his prospective January departure, the media setting him up for graduation from the Premier League's average tier. This is to be expected from a wide player who has a half-dozen strikes plus three assists who is delightful to watch. Nonetheless, his side occupy an difficult situation, experiencing a role reversal: it is the struggling side West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have been beaten seven to one over two games in their last two matches after an promising beginning to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa yet taking on a defence that hasn't kept a goalless game since August may prove the perfect solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday 3pm
The striker a surprise choice for England
It seemed notable to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the international break even though the Brighton striker turns 35 in the coming days. “Even without knowing him, I understand what he can offer me,” commented the England boss. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a quite traditional centre-forward role.” Earning the last of his 42 caps in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be selected to the World Cup assuming he manages to sustain his goalscoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker has a greater tally over every other English footballer in the top flight this season with six and will be anxious to add to that total as Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon crucial as creator and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a degree of comfort to Fulham's inconsistent start. The 25-year-old, who came back to his boyhood club last year following five challenging years in north London, has emerged as a first-team fixture, driving down the left flank with the injured Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he remains their top goalscorer this season together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man in the last term, has netted a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as a creator instead of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last season. The Cottagers' upcoming four games feature three of the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine goals in the league this season. Danger looms for a team that have developed a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The moment for The striker to produce for the Merseyside club
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's deficiencies in that game as they succumbed to their seventh loss in ten matches. The manager's squad require a consistent improvement to muscle into the championship chase from this position, along with a major upturn in results, and opportunity arises with seven from their following ten Premier League matches versus sides currently in the bottom half of the table. The threat is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a loss at Anfield to Liverpool in the last term, but it is not only Liverpool's showing when facing long balls and quick transitions that is under the spotlight. It is time for Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The £125m striker has been absent at club level over four weeks after picking up a groin problem when making his second start over a short period in continental competition win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned from the bench during Sweden's loss by Switzerland but sat out the subsequent dead rubber versus Slovenia to ensure his availability for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A yellow card in that match would have suspended him. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
