English top flight: 10 things to look out for this matchday

1. Garnacho and Walker ready for another encounter

A Manchester reunion may be in the offing when Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker is finding his feet with Chelsea following his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and showcased his talents versus Wolverhampton prior to the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace with a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside before dinking a ball toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his prior hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a indication of the speed at which things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho faced Walker? Back when the youngster scored for United in the Wembley triumph over Manchester City.

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

2. Semenyo key to stopping Bournemouth's decline

Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete transfer speculation attention due to a claimed £65m escape clause for a possible January departure, the tabloids preparing him for advancement from the Premier League's average tier. This is to be expected from a attacker who has a half-dozen strikes plus three setups and remains joyous to watch. Nonetheless, his team are in an awkward situation, experiencing a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who come in on back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have lost seven-one combined over their past two fixtures following an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their four-nil loss by Aston Villa yet taking on a defensive unit that hasn't kept a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season could be the perfect solution.

Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3pm

3. Welbeck a surprise shout for the Three Lions

It seemed interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause even though the Brighton striker celebrates 35 next week. “Even without being familiar with him, I understand what he can offer me,” said the England manager. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a quite conventional striker role.” Earning the final 42 England games several years ago, there is every chance that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup assuming he can maintain his goalscoring exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim a greater tally than any other English performer in the top flight this campaign with six and will be anxious to add to that tally when Brighton welcome Brentford on Saturday.

Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm

4. Sessegnon required as creator and scorer

Sessegnon's story has offered a measure of positivity to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The 25-year-old, who came back to his former side in 2024 following five difficult years at Tottenham, has become a regular starter, operating on the left side due to the injury of the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he remains their top goalscorer this season as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man last season, has scored a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable until 2026 due to a hamstring operation. Additionally, Sessegnon having to step up as a creator instead of Robinson, who registered ten helpers in the previous campaign. Fulham's upcoming four games take in three of the best five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine goals in the league so far. Trouble awaits for a side that have developed a standing for mid-table stability.

Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm

The occasion for Isak to produce for the Merseyside club

The debate regarding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's deficiencies during the match as they fell to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The manager's team must have a sustained recovery to force their way into the championship chase from this position, plus a major improvement in form, and the possibility arises as seven of their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures versus clubs currently in the lower half in the standings. The risk is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a home league defeat to Liverpool the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance versus long balls and counterattacks that is in focus. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not played for his club for a month having sustained a groin injury when making his second consecutive start in quick succession in Europe triumph in Germany. He reappeared off the bench in the Swedish defeat to Switzerland but sat out the subsequent inconsequential game versus Slovenia to secure his availability for next year's World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card on Tuesday could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient