English top flight: 10 things to watch for this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho poised for another encounter
Another northwest showdown could be in store when the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man is finding his feet with Chelsea following his off-season signing from Manchester United and displayed his talents against Wolves prior to the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto combined electric speed with a flawless low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield before lofting a ball across the goalmouth. His celebration with Neto, echoing his previous embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of the pace with which situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? During the Argentine found the net for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (start times GMT)
The winger vital to stopping Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete gossip column attention amid a alleged £65m release clause for a prospective mid-season move, the tabloids setting him up for promotion from the Premier League's mid-table ranks. It is to be expected from a winger who has six finishes and three setups and is pleasurable to watch. Nonetheless, his side occupy an awkward spot, having engaged in a body swap: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who come in with consecutive triumphs, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven to one combined over their past two matches following an promising opening to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss by Aston Villa yet facing a backline that hasn't kept a clean sheet for months might be the perfect solution.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck an outside shout for England
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the international break despite the fact that the Brighton attacker turns 35 soon. “Without even knowing him, I am aware what he could offer me,” stated the England manager. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a quite traditional No 9 position.” Gaining the last of his 42 England games in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be on the plane for the World Cup if he is able to maintain his goalscoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward has additional strikes than any other English footballer in the top flight this campaign on six and remains anxious to add to that tally when Brighton entertain Brentford this weekend.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon needed as creator and goalscorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought some positivity to Fulham's bumpy opening. The former Tottenham man, who came back to his youth team in 2024 after five difficult years with Spurs, has emerged as a first-team fixture, operating on the left flank due to the injury of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer the previous campaign, has scored a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out until 2026 owing to a surgical procedure. Additionally, Sessegnon being required to contribute as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who provided 10 assists last time round. Fulham's upcoming four matches feature three from the best five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine goals in the league this season. A threat emerges for a side that have developed a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The moment for Alexander Isak to perform for the Reds
The debate about Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they succumbed to a seventh defeat in ten matches. The coach's team require a sustained recovery to muscle into the league contest from their current spot, plus a significant improvement in form, and the possibility emerges as seven out of their upcoming ten league games versus clubs presently in the lower half in the league. The threat is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a home league defeat on the champions the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's showing versus direct play and counterattacks that will be in focus. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The £125m striker has not featured for his club in a month having sustained a groin problem while his second start in quick succession in Europe triumph abroad. Isak returned as a substitute in the Swedish defeat against Switzerland but sat out the midweek dead rubber with Slovenia to ensure his fitness for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A caution on Tuesday could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
