Premier League: ten key points to keep an eye on this round of fixtures

Walker faces Garnacho poised for another encounter

A Manchester reunion might be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is finding his feet in west London following his close-season transfer from the Red Devils and displayed his skills versus Wolverhampton before the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace with a flawless low cross. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside before lofting a cross across the goalmouth. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his earlier celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of the pace with which situations evolve. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? When the youngster scored for United in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

2. Semenyo crucial to ending Bournemouth's slump

Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire transfer speculation treatment following a claimed £65m buyout clause for a prospective winter exit, the media preparing him for advancement from the Premier League's middle class. That is predictable for a wide player with a half-dozen strikes and three setups and remains delightful to watch. However, his side find themselves in an difficult situation, experiencing a form flip: it is the struggling side West Ham who come in with back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one combined in their last two games following an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss to Aston Villa but facing a defensive unit that hasn't kept a shutout for months could be the perfect tonic.

Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday 3pm

Danny Welbeck a surprise choice for the Three Lions

It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause despite the fact that the Brighton striker reaches 35 soon. “Despite not being familiar with him, I am aware what he could provide,” commented the England coach. “He can be a reserve for Harry [Kane] as a very orthodox striker position.” Having won the most recent of his 42 England games several years ago, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he is able to sustain his scoring performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal striker can claim additional strikes than any other English player in England's top division this season having six and remains eager to boost that tally as Brighton host Brentford this weekend.

Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM

The full-back crucial as creator and goalscorer

The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought a degree of comfort to Fulham's inconsistent start. The left-sided player, who rejoined his former side in 2024 after five difficult years with Spurs, has become a first-team fixture, driving down the left due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? Having scored twice, he remains their top goalscorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer in the last term, has bagged one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term due to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as a creator in place of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' next four matches feature three from the best five and Crystal Palace, who have allowed only nine strikes this season so far. Trouble awaits for the club that have built a name for mid-table stability.

Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm

The occasion for The striker to deliver for the Reds

The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal against Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority during the match as they lost to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The coach's squad must have a prolonged upturn to muscle into the league contest from this position, plus a significant improvement in form, and opportunity presents itself with seven out of their following ten Premier League matches versus sides at the moment in the bottom half in the league. The danger is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a defeat on their own turf to the title holders in the last term, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing when facing long balls and counterattacks that is under scrutiny. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not played in domestic action over four weeks after picking up a muscle issue during his second consecutive start over a short period in the Champions League win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned off the bench in the Swedish loss to Switzerland but was rested Tuesday's meaningless match with Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for the World Cup qualifiers. A caution during the game would have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient