Premier League: ten key points to keep an eye on this weekend

Walker faces Garnacho poised for a new encounter

Another northwest showdown might be on the cards as Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The wide man is finding his feet in west London following his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and showcased his skills in the Wolves match before the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace with a perfect grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed cutting inside prior to lofting a delivery toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, replicating his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of the pace with which circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? Back when the youngster found the net for United in their Wembley triumph against Manchester City.

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

The winger vital to ending Cherries' slide

Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete rumour-mill attention following a reported £65m buyout clause for a prospective January departure, the media setting him up for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. That is understandable from a wide player who has a half-dozen strikes plus three assists who is joyous to watch. However, Bournemouth are in an tricky spot, experiencing a role reversal: now it's the struggling side West Ham who come in with successive wins, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven to one over two games over their last two matches after an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa but facing a defence lacking a goalless game in the league since the start of the season might be the perfect tonic.

Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM

The striker an outside choice for the Three Lions

It seemed interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the national team window although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Despite not knowing him, I know what he is able to provide,” commented the England coach. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a very traditional No 9 position.” Gaining the final 42 caps in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be in the squad for the World Cup assuming he manages to sustain his goal-getting performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward has a greater tally compared to any English performer in England's top division this season with six and remains keen to add to that count when Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.

Brighton against Brentford, Saturday three o'clock

Ryan Sessegnon needed as creator and goalscorer

The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought a degree of positivity to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The former Tottenham man, who rejoined his youth team recently after five tough years at Tottenham, has become a consistent pick, driving down the left in the absence of the injured Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he is their joint-top scorer in the league alongside Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man last season, has scored once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured until 2026 owing to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also having to step up as a creator replacing Robinson, who registered ten setups in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' following four matches take in three of the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine strikes in the league to date. A threat emerges for the club that have developed a reputation for mid-table stability.

Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock

5. Time for Isak to perform for Liverpool

The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority in that game as they fell to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The manager's team require a consistent improvement to muscle into the title race from here, as well as a dramatic improvement in form, and the possibility presents itself with seven from their next 10 Premier League matches facing sides at the moment in the bottom half in the standings. The risk is clear from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a loss at Anfield to Liverpool in the last term, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance versus direct play and fast breaks that will be in focus. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not played at club level over four weeks after picking up a muscle issue when making his second consecutive start in four days in Europe triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned from the bench in Sweden's loss by Switzerland but sat out the subsequent inconsequential game with Slovenia to ensure his readiness for the World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card during the game could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient