Premier division: ten highlights to look out for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker set for another battle
A Manchester reunion could be in the offing when Burnley's Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger is finding his feet in west London after his summer move from the Red Devils and displayed his skills against Wolves before the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration and a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto required cutting inside prior to lofting a delivery to the back post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of the speed at which situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? During the former scored for United during their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
The winger crucial to halting Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire rumour-mill attention due to a alleged £65m buyout clause for his potential mid-season move, the tabloids setting him up for advancement from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. It is predictable from a attacker with six finishes plus three setups and remains delightful to watch. Still, Bournemouth find themselves in an tricky situation, having engaged in a role reversal: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who come in on successive wins, while Bournemouth have lost 7-1 over two games in their past two fixtures following an promising start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the four-nil loss to Aston Villa yet taking on a defence lacking a goalless game in the league since the start of the season could be the ideal solution.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck an outside shout for the national team
It proved intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck multiple times during the fixture pause even though the Brighton attacker celebrates 35 soon. “Without even being familiar with him, I know what he can provide,” said the England coach. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a quite traditional No 9 role.” Gaining the last of his 42 caps back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck could be on the plane for the World Cup if he is able to maintain his goalscoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker can claim more goals over every other English player in the top flight this term with six and remains keen to increase that tally as Brighton entertain Brentford this weekend.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon required as creator and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a degree of warmth to Fulham's uneven opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his youth team recently after five tough years in north London, has emerged as a first-team fixture, driving down the left flank with the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer in the Premier League together with Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker last season, has netted a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured until 2026 due to hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon having to step up as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who provided 10 assists last season. The Cottagers' upcoming four games feature three from the leading five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine goals in the Premier League so far. A threat emerges for a team that have developed a name for mid-table stability.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
5. Time for Alexander Isak to produce for Liverpool
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they lost to loss number seven in ten matches. The coach's side require a prolonged upturn to enter the championship chase from here, along with a significant boost in performance, and the possibility arises as seven from their following ten league games versus teams presently in the bottom ten of the table. The threat is obvious from Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool last season, but it is not only Liverpool's showing against direct play and fast breaks that remains under scrutiny. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to show up for Liverpool. The big-money forward has been absent in domestic action for a month after picking up a groin problem during his second consecutive start in quick succession in the Champions League win in Germany. The striker came back off the bench in Sweden's reverse by Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's dead rubber against Slovenia to guarantee his availability for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card in that match would have made him ineligible. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
