English top flight: ten highlights to look out for this round of fixtures

Walker faces Garnacho poised for a fresh battle

A Manchester reunion may be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker is adapting well with Chelsea following his off-season signing from the Red Devils and demonstrated his talents against Wolves before the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a perfect low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield before lofting a cross toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his previous hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of how quickly circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? Back when the youngster scored for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (start times GMT)

2. Semenyo vital to ending Bournemouth's slump

Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire rumour-mill attention following a alleged £65m escape clause for a prospective January departure, the tabloids preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. It is understandable from a wide player with a half-dozen strikes plus three setups and is joyous to watch. Nonetheless, his team are in an awkward position, having undergone a form flip: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who come in with successive wins, while Bournemouth have lost seven to one combined in their previous two games after an promising opening to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss by Aston Villa yet facing a defensive unit without a goalless game since August might be the perfect solution.

Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm

3. Welbeck an outside shout for England

It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the fixture pause although the Brighton striker celebrates 35 soon. “Without even knowing him, I know what he could offer me,” said the England boss. “He might act as a reserve for Harry [Kane] playing a very conventional striker role.” Having won the final 42 international appearances back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be on the plane to the World Cup if he can continue his scoring exploits. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker boasts more goals compared to any English footballer in the Premier League this term having six and will be anxious to increase that total when Brighton welcome Brentford this weekend.

Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday three o'clock

The full-back required as assist provider and finisher

The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a measure of warmth to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The former Tottenham man, who returned to his former side recently after five difficult years in north London, has emerged as a consistent pick, driving down the left flank due to the injury of the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their primary attacker last season, has bagged once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured until 2026 due to hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver in a creative role in place of Robinson, who provided ten setups in the previous campaign. Fulham's upcoming four fixtures feature three among the best five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine goals in the league to date. A threat emerges for a side that have built a reputation for consistency in the middle.

Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM

The occasion for The striker to deliver for the Merseyside club

The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they succumbed to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's squad must have a sustained recovery to muscle into the league contest from here, plus a major improvement in form, and a chance emerges as seven from their next 10 top-flight fixtures against teams currently in the lower half of the table. The threat is evident from Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a home league defeat to the title holders last season, but it is not only Liverpool's showing versus long balls and quick transitions that remains under the spotlight. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to deliver wearing red. The £125m striker has not played for his club over four weeks following a groin problem when making his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in Europe triumph in Germany. The striker came back from the bench in Sweden's loss against Switzerland but sat out the midweek dead rubber versus Slovenia to ensure his fitness for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A caution during the game could have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient