English top flight: ten key points to keep an eye on this matchday
Walker faces Garnacho poised for another battle
Another northwest showdown could be on the cards as Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man is finding his feet with Chelsea following his summer move from Old Trafford and demonstrated his talents in the Wolves match prior to the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration with a flawless low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside prior to lofting a cross across the goalmouth. His joyous moment with Neto, replicating his prior hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of the pace with which things transform. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? When the former scored for United in the Wembley triumph over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (start times GMT)
2. Semenyo vital to ending Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full rumour-mill treatment following a reported £65m release clause for a potential winter exit, the tabloids preparing him for graduation from the Premier League's average tier. This is understandable for a wide player with six finishes plus three assists and is joyous to watch. Nonetheless, his side are in an awkward spot, having undergone a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on successive wins, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven-one on aggregate over their past two fixtures after an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the spot by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa however confronting a defensive unit that hasn't kept a goalless game for months might be the best solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck a left-field shout for England
It seemed notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the fixture pause despite the fact that the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Despite not being familiar with him, I am aware what he is able to offer me,” commented the England coach. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a very orthodox No 9 position.” Earning the last of his 42 England games back in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be in the squad for the World Cup assuming he can continue his scoring exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker has additional strikes over every other English footballer in England's top division this term with six and remains eager to add to that count when Brighton entertain Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon needed as assist provider and scorer
Sessegnon's story has provided some comfort to Fulham's bumpy opening. The left-sided player, who returned to his former side recently after five challenging years with Spurs, is now a regular starter, operating on the left flank due to the injury of the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? With two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer this season alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has bagged one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period owing to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last time round. Fulham's following four games feature three of the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine scores this season to date. A threat emerges for a side that have built a name for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for Alexander Isak to perform for the Merseyside club
The dispute regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort against Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority during the match as they lost to their seventh loss in 10 games. The coach's squad need a consistent improvement to enter the league contest from here, as well as a major boost in performance, and the possibility arises with seven from their upcoming ten league games against teams presently in the bottom ten of the table. The risk is obvious from Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a loss at Anfield to Liverpool last season, but it is not only Liverpool's performance versus long balls and counterattacks that will be under scrutiny. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The expensive signing has not featured at club level for a month after picking up a groin injury during his second start in quick succession in continental competition win in Germany. He reappeared off the bench in Sweden's loss against Switzerland but was rested the midweek meaningless match with Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for next year's World Cup playoffs. A caution on Tuesday could have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
