English top flight: ten highlights to keep an eye on this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho poised for another clash
A Mancunian rematch could be in the offing when Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge after his summer move from the Red Devils and demonstrated his skills in the Wolves match prior to the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto blended electric speed with a perfect low cross. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right before chipping a cross across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, replicating his prior hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of how quickly situations evolve. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? When the former scored for United in the cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon half past twelve (all times GMT)
2. Semenyo key to halting Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the complete rumour-mill treatment due to a alleged £65m escape clause for a prospective January departure, the gossip columns positioning him for promotion out of the Premier League's middle class. That is to be expected from a winger who has six finishes plus three setups and remains joyous to watch. Still, his side find themselves in an awkward position, having undergone a role reversal: now it's the struggling side West Ham who come in with successive wins, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one combined over their past two matches following an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their heavy loss to Aston Villa however taking on a backline that hasn't kept a goalless game for months might be the best tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3pm
Danny Welbeck an outside shout for England
It was notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the international break despite the fact that the Brighton striker turns 35 in the coming days. “Despite not having met him, I understand what he is able to provide,” commented the England coach. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] as a quite conventional No 9 position.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 international appearances several years ago, there is every chance that Welbeck might be selected for the World Cup if he manages to sustain his goalscoring exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim additional strikes than any other English footballer in England's top division this term on six and remains anxious to increase that total when Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The full-back required as creator and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered a degree of warmth to Fulham's inconsistent beginning. The left-sided player, who rejoined his former side last year following five challenging years at Tottenham, has emerged as a regular starter, operating on the left flank due to the injury of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker in the last term, has bagged once while Rodrigo Muniz is out for an extended period due to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also having to step up as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who supplied ten setups last time round. The Cottagers' following four matches feature three of the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine strikes this season this season. Danger looms for a team that have built a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
5. Time for Alexander Isak to produce for the Merseyside club
The dispute regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they lost to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. The coach's squad must have a prolonged upturn to force their way into the championship chase from here, plus a major upturn in results, and a chance emerges as seven from their following ten Premier League matches versus teams at the moment in the lower half of the table. The risk is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to hand a loss at Anfield on the champions the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's showing against aerial passes and quick transitions that remains under the spotlight. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has been absent in domestic action for a month after picking up a muscle issue when making his second start in four days in the Champions League victory abroad. He reappeared as a substitute during Sweden's loss by Switzerland but was rested the subsequent inconsequential game with Slovenia to ensure his readiness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card on Tuesday could have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient