English top flight: 10 things to look out for this matchday
1. Garnacho and Walker ready for a new clash
A Manchester reunion could be in the offing when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is adapting well with Chelsea following his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and demonstrated his talents in the Wolves match prior to the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration and a perfect grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right before chipping a ball to the back post. His celebration with Neto, replicating his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of how quickly situations evolve. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? When the youngster netted for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (start times GMT)
The winger vital to stopping Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete rumour-mill focus due to a claimed £65m escape clause for his potential winter exit, the gossip columns positioning him for graduation out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is understandable from a wide player with a half-dozen strikes and three assists who is pleasurable to watch. However, his side find themselves in an tricky situation, experiencing a form flip: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost seven-one combined over their past two matches following an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez during the four-nil loss to Aston Villa but facing a backline that hasn't kept a goalless game for months could be the best tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
3. Welbeck a left-field choice for England
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the fixture pause even though the Brighton striker turns 35 in the coming days. “Even without knowing him, I understand what he could give me,” stated the England boss. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a very traditional centre-forward position.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 England games back in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck might be in the squad for the World Cup provided he can maintain his goalscoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts additional strikes over every other English player in England's top division this season having six and will be keen to boost that total when Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday 3pm
4. Sessegnon required as assist provider and finisher
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought some comfort to Fulham's inconsistent beginning. The 25-year-old, who returned to his boyhood club in 2024 following five challenging years with Spurs, has emerged as a regular starter, pushing forward on the left flank due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? Having scored twice, he is their leading marksman this season as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their top scorer last season, has netted a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period due to a hamstring operation. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who supplied ten helpers last time round. The Cottagers' next four fixtures feature three from the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed just nine strikes this season this season. Trouble awaits for the club that have developed a reputation for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The occasion for The striker to perform for the Reds
The debate surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort against Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's deficiencies during the match as they fell to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The coach's side require a prolonged upturn to muscle into the league contest from this position, as well as a major boost in performance, and the possibility emerges as seven of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures versus clubs currently in the bottom ten of the table. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a defeat on their own turf on the champions the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's display when facing direct play and fast breaks that will be under scrutiny. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not played for his club for a month following a groin injury when making his second appearance in the lineup in quick succession in the Champions League win abroad. Isak returned as a substitute in Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but missed Tuesday's inconsequential game versus Slovenia to ensure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A caution during the game would have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
