English top flight: 10 things to keep an eye on this matchday

Garnacho versus Walker ready for a fresh battle

A Mancunian rematch might be in store when Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker is adapting well with Chelsea after his off-season signing from the Red Devils and showcased his talents in the Wolves match before the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace with a ideal grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right before chipping a delivery across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, replicating his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the pace with which circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho faced Walker? During the youngster scored for United in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (all times GMT)

2. Semenyo key to ending Cherries' slide

Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete transfer speculation attention following a reported £65m release clause for a possible mid-season move, the tabloids positioning him for advancement out of the Premier League's middle class. This is understandable for a wide player who has six finishes plus three helpers and remains delightful to watch. However, Bournemouth find themselves in an awkward situation, having engaged in a form flip: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who come in on back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost seven to one on aggregate over their last two games following an promising start to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa however confronting a backline lacking a shutout in the league since the start of the season may prove the best tonic.

Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm

The striker an outside shout for the national team

It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the international break even though the Brighton striker reaches 35 soon. “Even without being familiar with him, I am aware what he could offer me,” said the England manager. “He can be a reserve for Harry [Kane] in a quite orthodox No 9 role.” Gaining the final 42 caps back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup if he manages to maintain his goal-getting performances. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim a greater tally compared to any English player in the top flight this season having six and will be eager to add to that total as Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.

Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM

The full-back needed as creator and scorer

Sessegnon's story has brought a degree of positivity to Fulham's uneven beginning. The 25-year-old, who returned to his youth team recently after five tough years with Spurs, is now a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The worry? Having scored twice, he is their top goalscorer in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker in the last term, has scored one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term due to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also having to step up as a creator in place of Robinson, who provided ten helpers last time round. Fulham's following four matches include three of the best five plus Crystal Palace, who have allowed merely nine goals in the Premier League so far. A threat emerges for a team that have built a name for solidity in the central positions.

Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock

The moment for Isak to deliver for the Merseyside club

The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike versus Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's deficiencies during the match as they fell to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The coach's side need a consistent improvement to muscle into the league contest from their current spot, plus a significant boost in performance, and a chance arises with seven out of their next 10 Premier League matches versus clubs presently in the lower half in the league. The danger is clear from Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a loss at Anfield to the title holders the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's performance against aerial passes and fast breaks that will be under the spotlight. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The £125m striker has not featured for his club over four weeks having sustained a groin problem when making his second consecutive start over a short period in continental competition win abroad. He reappeared from the bench during Sweden's reverse by Switzerland but sat out the subsequent dead rubber with Slovenia to secure his availability for the World Cup knockout rounds. A caution during the game could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient